Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage (Book 1 of The Cetra Heritage)
by Quatermass
Summary: Abused and in pain, Harry Potter cries out for deliverance from his plight at the Dursleys before he learns of his future at Hogwarts. And Minerva, the goddess of the Planet, grants it. Aerith, on her mission to activate Holy, finds Harry in the City of the Ancients, and a journey to save the Planet is changed, for better and for worse... (RATED T FOR CRUDE LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE)
1. FOREWORD

**FOREWORD**

I've read many variations of a story where Harry Potter, abused and neglected by the Dursleys, ends up in another fictional realm. But I've noticed that a series ripe for such a crossover premise, the _Final Fantasy_ games, isn't used as much, except perhaps in the slashfics, which I don't read.

One such crossover has Harry involved in the events of _Final Fantasy VII_, and then, as I intend it to happen, for the FFVII characters to crossover into the Potterverse. I originally had Harry being adopted, so to speak, by Aerith and her mother, but decided to have him arrive at a key point in the story, one that will change the story of _Final Fantasy VII_. Whether it turns out well is another matter entirely.

Some disclaimers. Firstly, this is not a slashfic. It may have some unusual pairings, but no slash. Also, there will be little to no bashing of the Harry Potter characters.

Secondly, there will be annotations up the wazoo. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is my first published fanfic. It's not the best writing compared to my usual writing, but I hope that the story proper (rather than the writing style) is enjoyable. It starts with a _deus ex machina_, but frankly, don't a lot of crossovers?

Fourthly, I've decided to release the story in 'episodes' of about five chapters. When I release chapters will be based partly on how long it takes me to complete the episodes, and partly when I feel like it.

Finally, the following is a fan-based work. _Final Fantasy VII_ and _Harry Potter_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release.


	2. Chapter 1: The Flower Girl and the

**EPISODE 1:**

**DIVINE INTERVENTION**

_And lastly, there is the oldest and deepest desire, the Great Escape: the Escape from Death. Fairy-stories provide many examples and modes of these_…

-Fairy-Stories_, by JRR Tolkien_

**CHAPTER 1:**

**THE FLOWER GIRL AND THE SCARRED BOY**

Aerith(1) Gainsborough knew that she was close to her destination, even as she moved through the strange pathways of the City of the Ancients. She could feel it, as acutely as others could feel the temperature of the air. Even normal people would be able to feel it by now, but not quite as well as her. After all, she was an Ancient, a Cetra.

Not that that meant much. She was the last of her kind, especially now that the Temple of the Ancients, along with its inhabitants, were no more. Of course, those beings were merely the spiritual remnants of the Ancients, but she still felt their loss as acutely as she did when her mother, her real mother, perished on the steps of the Sector 7 slums' train station.

Pensively, she clutched at the Materia on her head she had carried for the longest time. Aerith had once said to Cloud, when they first met, that it was good for absolutely nothing. That was meant in jest. In truth, she knew what it was. Her mother had spoken to her from within the Lifestream and told her. The ultimate White Magic Materia. Holy.

It was the only thing that could stop Sephiroth.

Thanks to Cloud's actions, Sephiroth now had the Black Materia capable of summoning Meteor. Holy was the only thing that could stop Meteor, and Aerith was willing to bet that Sephiroth, with his intimate understanding of the Planet and the Lifestream, knew this. He intended to stop her. This was part of the reason she left for the City of the Ancients alone. She didn't want to bring any of the others into danger. And if truth be told…she couldn't trust Cloud. Not completely.

It wasn't that she thought him untrustworthy per se. Indeed, he had helped save her manifold times. They had fought together for too long over the past few weeks(2) that she couldn't see him as anything other than an ally, and as a friend. Perhaps he could be more, though Aerith didn't want to upset Tifa. Despite his stern, sometimes cold demeanour, there was a warmth in Cloud that sometimes shone through. That time in the Golden Saucer, where she managed to finagle him into going on a date, wasn't the best possible time they could have had. But it was a good one anyway.

But even before Sephiroth took control of him in the hole left by the Temple and had him attack her, she found herself disquietened by him. He resembled her old boyfriend, Zack, so much it wasn't funny. Not that there was much physical resemblance, beyond the spiky hair and the eerie shine of the Mako infusion in his eyes. And the clothes and sword. No, it was his manner. Half the time, it seemed like Zack, and the other half, it seemed like someone else, presumably Cloud. She remembered saying something fatuous on that gondola ride back at the Golden Saucer, something about wanting to meet him, even though he was, physically, right in front of her. She had meant the real him, of course.

And then, there was Tifa's attitude to him, especially after his story in the inn at Kalm. Aerith noticed that she seemed (albeit subtly) disbelieving of his story. Not of the actual events, but rather, that Cloud had ever been there. For a childhood friend, that was a rather disturbing attitude for Tifa to take. It wasn't that Tifa was certain that Cloud hadn't been there, but rather, that she was uncertain as to whether he had been there. Like she thought she may have seen Cloud once.

That was why she left Cloud and the others back at Gongaga. As dangerous as the trek was, she needed to put some distance between her and Cloud. Once she got Holy activated, then she would come back, and work on getting him free from Sephiroth's control. And confront Tifa about why she seemed to have a guarded attitude towards her old friend. They needed to work things out if they were going to stop Sephiroth, not to mention Shinra.

Soon, she came to a clearing in the strange forest of pale, stone-like trees, and she halted as she beheld the sight in front of her. In front of her was a small lake, and on the other side of the lake, within easy walking distance, was a strange building that looked like a massive seashell, all conical and spiral and spiky. She closed her eyes, and sighed. It would be lovely to dip her toes briefly into the water. All that walking, even mitigated by careful use of Warp spells, had done a number on her feet.

But as she approached the water's edge, she frowned as she saw something on the shore. She moved on cautiously, only to realise what it was, and she ran over.

It was a boy, perhaps eight years old, or maybe older, but small for his age. He was dressed in baggy, worn clothing that had seen better years, even before being waterlogged. Black hair hung in wet clumps around his head, messy and unkempt. Aerith frowned when she saw a scar marring his forehead, a jagged, lightning bolt-like shape, angry and red. It was clearly an old scar, and yet, it looked inflamed, like it had never properly healed. A clearly often-repaired pair of glasses completed the ensemble, perched precariously on his nose.

With a start, Aerith realised she could see bruises on the boy's deathly pale skin, on his arms and face. Ugly black and purple bruises. His breathing, while not dangerous-sounding, sounded ragged and painful nonetheless. The boy had been in a fight. No. A fight suggested he could have fought back. Aerith knew that an adult had to have inflicted these injuries.

Aerith was slow to anger. But people back home in the Sector 5 slums knew better than to anger the apparently demure girl with the brown hair and emerald eyes. And domestic abuse was one of the things that truly angered her. She had once beaten (with her staff) a man into unconsciousness as he had done to his own wife, a friend of Aerith's adoptive mother, Elmyra. And she knew how to see the signs.

"How could someone do this to you?" she asked quietly, not expecting an answer.

"All too easily, I'm afraid."

The voice was melodic and calm, but Aerith whipped around in fright regardless. She wasn't expecting anyone else here, let alone whom she saw standing in front of her.

The woman was elaborately armoured, with a long mane of blonde hair and a serene face, though it was currently set in an expression of sorrow. She held up a gauntlet-clad hand. "Be at peace, Aerith Gainsborough. I am not here to harm you, nor the child. I brought him here, after all."

Aerith blinked, looking at the boy, before looking back at her. For a moment, she was about to ask who the woman was. Then, something deep within her told her. The Cetra part of her, speaking with the voice of her long-dead mother Ifalna, told her who this person was. "Minerva…"

"At your service, Aerith," the armoured woman said, bowing slightly.

Aerith's eyes widened at the bow. Minerva was…well, the embodiment of the consciousness of the Planet. She was considered by some to be the Goddess spoken of in the play LOVELESS(3). To have her speaking to Aerith, let alone bowing in any way…well, it was mind-blowing.

Aerith did listen to the Planet, and it did speak to her, after a fashion, but it was a different thing to speak to the collective consciousness of the Lifestream, and to speak to the queen of the hive, so to speak.

Aerith did a curtsey. "At _your_ service, Minerva," Aerith responded.

Minerva chuckled softly, before her face once more settled into solemnity. "You may be one of the few who truly realise what the relationship between the Planet and its people mean. But your comrades do, even if some are misguided. Like Mr Wallace. I appreciate his sentiment, but not his methods(4). However, while you are on a righteous quest, many will try to stop you. One is on his way even as we speak."

"Sephiroth."

"Yes. What pursues you is not the true Sephiroth, rather a puppet made of Jenova cells. And in his wake, he brings another puppet, infected by Jenova cells. The one you call Cloud Strife." Minerva looked out to the strange building. "Zack Fair returned to the Lifestream some time ago, murdered by Shinra troopers after escaping Nibelheim. Cloud took on his legacy."

Aerith found herself not reacting much to Zack's death. Maybe, given that he disappeared five years ago, she had already resigned herself to the fact that he was dead. Perhaps she would mourn later. "Was he really at Nibelheim?"

"Both of them were, but Cloud never made it into SOLDIER. Instead, he was one of Shinra's footsoldiers, and hid his face in shame, save from his mother. Tifa never saw his face until the end, and even then, she was half-delirious from her injuries. However, Cloud did help Tifa. Unfortunately, Jenova's cells combined with Mako poisoning served to conflate Zack's recollection of the incident with Cloud's own. His sanity, thanks to Hojo's experiments and Sephiroth's manipulations, hangs by a thread."

"Then why couldn't you manifest yourself to me, or to us, sooner?"

Minerva inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Even to an Ancient, I can only speak to you in sacred sites like this, and in the Temple of the Ancients, the voices of the Ancients' lingering consciousness drowned me out. Others may have to enter a Lifestream-rich area to commune with me. But you must begin to use Holy, for even I cannot do it without using the Materia. And this one will help you."

"Who is he?" Aerith asked, disturbed that a boy would be considered helpful. He was so young, and so beaten.

"His name is Harry Potter. He comes from a world many of the Cetra managed to flee to when Jenova first arrived on this world. But for a few including himself, they forgot how to listen to the Planet, even their own, though they can use magic without Materia. However, his story is a sad one, and could have ended badly…"

And so, Aerith listened. Minerva could see dimly into this other world, given the Cetra descendants who had ended up there. Aerith learned of wizards called Dumbledore and Voldemort, of a war that ended when Voldemort murdered Harry's parents, but perished, in body at least, while trying to kill Harry. Of the circumstances that led to Harry being placed with relatives who were at best, neglectful. However, it seemed that one of them had beaten him in a drunken rage, a rare but still vile occurrence(5).

"He called out to me in his pain, as he lay within that cupboard. He didn't know who or what I was, but he called out to me, and I responded. Through his power and mine, he has been brought to this world. However, he has been brought from one danger to another. This was one of the few portals able to be opened from his world to ours."

"And you want me to look after him?" Aerith asked.

"Yes. I believe that he will be a great asset to your quest. Despite everything his…guardians put him through," Minerva said, with Aerith noting a slight snarl on the word 'guardians', "he is a boy who knows what is right and what is wrong, and will stand up for what is right. And his magical ability, while originally bound, is extraordinary. I suggest allowing him to help with activating Holy. Your pursuers will arrive in a day. With Harry's help, Holy will be activated long before Sephiroth or Cloud get here. But even then, Sephiroth won't be stopped that easily. Be prepared to fight until the end."

"I have been since I got drawn into this mess," Aerith replied levelly.

"Good. Then I leave it in your hands, Aerith. Before I leave, a gift for you."

As Minerva faded, Aerith found herself filled with power. She realised what the power was almost immediately. She could perform a Limit Break, and she knew which one to use. She had only recently obtained it, and had used it to great effect in the Temple of the Ancients. Closing her eyes, she focused on the power, and murmured, softly, "_Great Gospel_."

The words, while quietly spoken, had power. A sudden rain shower pelted the two of them, and Aerith looked to the sky as it cleared, where briefly, a trio of angelic figures wheeled. Golden light suffused the area, and Aerith's aches and pains were banished. The boy convulsed briefly, and took in a deep breath as his eyes snapped open behind his mangled glasses. Like Aerith's own, they were the green of emeralds. He started as he saw her.

"It's okay," Aerith said quietly.

For a moment, the boy said nothing. Thoughts of various kinds clearly danced in the mind behind his eyes, before he finally said, in a timorous tone, "Are you an angel?"(6)

Aerith giggled. "No. But I'm flattered. I'm Aerith Gainsborough. And I'm told that your name is Harry Potter. It's good to meet you."

"How did you know my name? Did that lady in the armour tell you?"

"Minerva?" On his nod, she returned it. "Yes, she did."

"So, I'm really on another world? Away from my…relatives?" he asked, terrible hope and longing in his voice, but also a fear that this was a dream from which he may cruelly be awoken.

Aerith nodded. "You never have to go back there, if I can help it."

"Good," the boy said, his face darkening. "That isn't my home. I don't want it to be, ever again."

"Come on, Harry. We have to go in there." She pointed to the strange, seashell-like building. "We have things to do, and not a lot of time…"

**CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS**

**A bit of a ****_deus ex machina_****, to bring Harry Potter to the world of ****_Final Fantasy VII_****. But hey, there are fanfics with even more contrived premises. I just hope mine is better than the norm.**

**1\. While I actually don't mind her name being spelled as Aeris, I've decided to name her as she is officially named. Indeed, I rename her when I play ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** nowadays.**

**2\. I decided that the events of ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** take a few weeks, at least up to the end of the first disc. This is fairly arbitrary, but not unreasonable, I hope.**

**3\. Minerva is never heard to speak in her one and only appearance in ****_Crisis Core_****. Now while I thought that it was good for the whole enigmatic goddess thing, I thought that she could be a decent expositional character. Which still raises the question, why can she talk to Aerith, and not others, about this information? I try to justify this by saying that, even to a Cetra, Minerva can only speak in certain areas. It's also worth pointing out that Minerva is the sentience of the Planet. The Lifestream, while it has its own intelligence, is closer to the blood of the Planet, and the physical Planet proper is its body. That analogy is imperfect, but it helps.**

**It's worth pointing out that throughout the game, it's often stated that the Planet doesn't often communicate well to even the Ancients. Ifalna's discussions with Gast (on the tapes at Icicle Inn) make this clear. I decided that, for this moment, and for the other few moments in this story where Minerva will make an appearance, it takes her an immense effort, and she can only appear either to the Ancients, to characters immersed in the Lifestream (yes, we will have Cloud and Tifa ending up like that, as in the game), and to another important character whom I shouldn't reveal, for the sake of spoilers.**

**4\. Barrett Wallace is a terrorist, frankly. He doesn't really think about the innocent people (or near-innocent) he kills with the bombs on the reactors. Admittedly, the bombs are bigger than intended (Jessie has a line to this effect in the hideout). Cait Sith should have called him out on it earlier, but we see Tifa having doubts about AVALANCHE's methods earlier in the game (note, for example, just after the Sector 7 Plate is dropped). Don't get me wrong, Barrett's heart is in the right place, but he also is extraordinarily blinkered. As Cait Sith points out, not everyone killed or injured by the reactor explosions were the same as President Shinra, or Heidegger, or Scarlet. Of course, Barrett also realises to some degree how bloodstained his hands are. The events in Corel and the Golden Saucer Prison make that perfectly clear.**

**5\. Canonically, as far as I am aware, Harry was never physically abused by the Dursleys, save for being effectively thrown bodily into the cupboard. It's a popular fanfic trope to ramp up the abuse markedly. In this story, I'm keeping close to Harry Potter canon, but Harry coming to the Planet is triggered by Vernon basically getting drunk and taking out his frustrations on Harry. The Dursleys are the only HP characters I will do much bashing of. Oh, and Snape, but he will eventually get his chance for redemption. But HP story won't come in until later.**

**6\. Couldn't resist this line, cribbed from ****_Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace_****. That being said, there will be NO shipping between Harry and Aerith. There's a major age gap (Harry is ten, Aerith is 22), Harry is VERY underage, and I intend for their relationship to become more like a sibling-based one. Harry half-believes that he's dead, hence the line. I'm not sure who to pair Harry with. I doubt it'll be anyone from ****_Final Fantasy VII_****. However, it may not be Ginny. I'm personally leaning towards either Luna or Hermione. Probably the former. But it's early days yet, and Harry is a bit young to have a girlfriend or a romance.**

**CHAPTER 1 SUGGESTED SOUNDTRACK**

**(After writing the first eight chapters, I decided having a soundtrack would be nice. Many of the tracks will come from ****_Final Fantasy VII_****, so for those, I will mark as 'FTG' or 'from the game', unless I have decided to use bits from the ****_Advent Children_**** or similar versions. These are suggestions, and based on my personal preferences. There won't be many ****_Harry Potter_**** songs until later. Each track will come with a cue, relating to dialogue or general scenes)**

**Aerith in the Ancient City****: ****_Flowers Blooming in the Church_**** (FTG). I consider this Aerith's 'true' theme, whereas ****_Aerith's Theme _****is more the theme of her death. This is considerably less melancholy, and a bit more descriptive of Aerith in life than in her death.**

**Harry on the Shore****: ****_The Arrival of Baby Harry_****, from ****_Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_****, composed by John Williams. Particularly from 2:45 onwards or thereabouts.**

**The Goddess' Tale and Aerith's Great Gospel****: ****_The Doctor's Theme (series 4 version)_****, from ****_Doctor Who_****, composed by Murray Gold.**


	3. Chapter 2: A Deadly Fate Averted

**CHAPTER 2:**

**A DEADLY FATE AVERTED**

Harry Potter, aged ten, had had a lot to take in, understandably. In fact, he was desperately hoping that this wasn't some ludicrously vivid dream that he was about to wake up from. He had pinched himself a couple of times. But the clinching moment came when he tripped and fell down while on the virtually endless stairs they had taken down a moment ago. Aerith managed to stop him before he tumbled down too far, but the pain was too much to be a dream.

And she used _magic_ to heal him of the cuts and bruises he had suffered before he had been stopped. Magic, the one word that was guaranteed to set off his aunt and uncle into paroxysms of rage. Of course, it wasn't exactly magic with a wand. She showed him the glowing orbs on her staff, and on the bracelet she wore. Materia, she called it. A sort of crystal orb that contained magical power that anyone on this world could use.

They spoke a lot during the walk down those near-endless steps. Said steps were underneath a house that looked like a gigantic sea-shell. Harry giggled inwardly, imagining the look on his aunt's equine face if she saw THAT on Privet Drive, instead of those ludicrously identical houses. It was Aerith who did the talking, mostly, telling him about the Ancients, and about her life, and Shinra, and Sephiroth.

Sephiroth. Minerva had spoken of him to Harry during that dream before he woke up. He even had a nightmarish vision of Sephiroth, silhouetted by flames(1).

"_He was a good man, once. Tainted by evil, and by the Jenova cells that had infected him since he was in the womb. He never knew his true mother's love, and he understandably scorned his father, an evil man by the name of Hojo_," Minerva had told him. "_But for all that, there was something noble in him. But when he learned what he thought was the truth about his origins, his sanity was annihilated. He wiped out an entire town within minutes, first setting it on fire, and then taking his sword to the remaining inhabitants. The survivors of Nibelheim can be counted on a single hand, and you will meet two of them. And then, after being grievously injured, he plunged into the Lifestream, along with the head of the being he called 'mother'. In time, they fused. Sephiroth became the dominant personality, but his instinct is that of Jenova(__2)__._"

Sephiroth. And Jenova. Monsters out of nightmares. And then, there was what Harry was told about his parents. He should've known his aunt and uncle had lied. That his parents didn't die in a car crash, drunk. Of course, the truth was almost as bad. True, they had died trying to protect Harry, but they had been murdered by an evil wizard, Voldemort. Voldemort himself had died while trying to murder Harry, but Minerva warned Harry that Voldemort's spirit was still tethered to the world Harry had just departed. Worse still, he had a bit of Voldemort's soul within him.

"_It's beyond my power to remove it, save for causing your death_," Minerva had said solemnly. "_But there may be hope in this world to remove it, all the same. Once you have the opportunity, seek out the Elders of Cosmo Canyon. They study the workings of the soul and of the Planet, of my body and blood, and may have found something._"

It was sobering. But to know that magic exists, and to have someone who cared about him, more than made up for it. Aerith was a kind soul, and he wondered what sort of agenda she really had. But she healed him, and Minerva had said that Aerith was a good soul, if more than a little mischievous. A bit like his own father, he was told by the goddess.

She was quite beautiful, her gorgeous brown hair framing a heart-shaped face, and eyes as brilliantly green as his own. Her pink dress and dark red jacket had seen better days, though, somewhat faded and torn here and there. Not that his own clothes were anything to speak of, being his cousin Dudley's old cast-offs.

She had given him a spare bracelet and some Materia. The first was a 'Restore' Materia, which could physically heal people. The second was an 'All' Materia, designed to boost the power of the Restore Materia so it could heal several people at once. The third was a 'Health Plus' Materia. It was meant to help increase his general health and resilience to injury. And the fourth, blood red in colour, was a 'Summon' Materia. It was a Materia that could summon a magical entity to briefly fight the enemy. Specifically, it was Shiva, a deity of ice and snow. During the course of their battles, the Materia gained enough power to bud off, and Aerith, when she came here, took the newly budded Materia, including the ones Harry now had.

He also wielded one of Aerith's old staffs. It felt heavy in his young hands, but he didn't really have anything else to use as a weapon.

Aerith was finishing her tale once they reached the bottom of the vast underground chamber, where a series of structures with a raised platform in the middle awaited, all on a small underground lake. Harry felt a little envious of Aerith. Her life had been hard in the slums of Midgar after she escaped Shinra, but her adoptive mother, Elmyra, had been a loving mother. And despite the cruelty of Professor Hojo and the indifference of some of his staff, a few of Shinra's employees had shown her kindness.

They jumped from pillar to pillar over the water, until they reached the raised platform. It was then that Aerith touched a pale green orb in her hair, attached to the ribbon she had tying it. "Holy," she said. "The White Materia."

"It doesn't look white," Harry said, doing a marvellous job of pointing out the obvious.

"True," Aerith said with a soft giggle, taking the Materia off her ribbon, and holding it in her cupped hands. "I once told Cloud that it was good for nothing. But once it's activated, it will glow with holy light. Knowing Sephiroth, he may have a countermeasure for it, other than killing me. I sealed the entrance to this place in the house above in case he or the others have arrived sooner. That should buy enough time to activate Holy, especially now that I have you."

"Me?" Harry asked. "But…I haven't even used Materia! Minerva told me I was a wizard, a descendant of the Cetra, but…I don't…"

"Harry, calm down," Aerith said quietly, her voice nonetheless cutting across his protesting. "Magic Materia needs merely a mental effort and a vocal trigger to activate. With Holy, it's only a little harder, as we have to, effectively, pray to the Planet. All you have to do is focus on the Materia, and pray. And follow my lead."

Harry was no stranger to prayer. Even though he had been, if he but knew the term, an agnostic (what cruel god would make him to stay at the Dursleys?), he nonetheless prayed many a night for salvation from the Dursleys. Only now had his prayers had been answered, and by a goddess from another world. He had prayed for magic to be real, to be not a freak, to have someone who actually gave a damn about him, and perhaps to go on some adventure.

Now that it had all come true, he was understandably apprehensive, especially the adventure part. It was only now that he was beginning to truly realise he was in danger.

But he looked up into Aerith's eyes, as verdant as his own, and smiled as best he could manage. He will follow her lead. He would do what he could to help her.

When they had finished activating Holy, Harry stood for a moment, trying to get the feeling back into his legs from sitting for so long. And trying to clear the fog from his brain. Aerith handed him a vial. "Drink it," she said. "It's a Turbo Ether. It replenishes your magic reserves completely."

Sceptically, he drank the liquid, which tasted a bit like a sweet cup of tea (he had managed to make himself one a few times while the Dursleys were out). Almost instantly, the fog from his brain cleared. Aerith herself drank one. Harry knew how tiring that was for both of them. Aerith studied the Materia in her hands, which was now glowing with a distinctive light. She smiled, as she fixed the Materia back to her ribbon. "Good." Her eyes flickered up to the vast, almost invisible ceiling of the chamber they were in. "And they're here."

"Your friends?"

Aerith nodded. "And Sephiroth. I think he'll try to use Cloud first before trying anything himself. He wants to break Cloud as much as possible. But I may need your help."

"What can I do?" Harry asked, horrified. From what Minerva and Aerith had told him, Sephiroth was a demon in human form. Even if Harry could do magic, he didn't know whether he could stop Sephiroth.

"Anything you can. I trust you, Harry. And in any case, I will do what I can." She gestured to the ceiling. "The door is open. And Cloud and the others are coming. Stay there," she said, indicating the edge of the platform.

Harry did as he was bidden, and watched as Aerith knelt down and made as if she was praying. He began to hear voices from above.

"…wasn't there before. Why now?" The voice was that of a young woman, about Aerith's age.

"Who cares? We can help Aerith, Tifa!" This was definitely an older man, deep and powerful. It reminded Harry a bit too much of his uncle, though he thought that it sounded a bit like Mr T(3).

"But what if it's a trap?" the first voice, presumably Tifa, said. Harry remembered Aerith's descriptions of the young woman, and hoped that she would be friendly.

"Then it's a trap," said the low, calm voice of a young man. "Tifa, Barrett, keep a close eye on me. Remember what happened at the Temple."

"I remember, you spiky-haired fool, Cloud. You went batshit insane and started to whale on Aerith. I'll gladly do the same again!"

So the young man was Cloud. Which presumably meant that the Mr T soundalike was Barrett.

"Good. The others are standing guard, just in case. I'm not sure what they can do against Sephiroth, but if we're lucky, they can bar his way(4)."

"And once we find Aerith?" Tifa asked.

"We help her, and then get out of here, and stop Sephiroth."

Barrett chuckled. "Simple. I like it."

The newcomers finally arrived at the stepping stones just before the platform. He heard Cloud asking them to stay back for the moment while he went across first. Then, he climbed the steps to the platform.

He was relatively young, maybe in his twenties, with a muscled body clad in a purple set of coveralls. His blonde hair stuck up in prodigal spikes, and his blue eyes glowed gently. His face seemed made for perpetual frowning, but was handsome enough. His eyes and Harry's met, and his narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Harry Potter," Harry said. "Are you Cloud?"

As Harry said that, Cloud suddenly convulsed, drawing the massive sword he had on his back. For a moment, his eyes met Harry's once more, and instead of suspicion or anger, there was anguish. In fact, Harry thought he got an answer to his question. _I don't know any more_. That's what the message in Cloud's eyes seemed to say, before they darkened, and he raised the sword, ready to bring it crashing down on Aerith's apparently helpless body.

"Cloud! No!" Tifa screamed.

"Stop it!" Barrett yelled.

Before Harry could bring himself to do anything, Cloud's friends got through to him. He looked at the sword in his hands, and murmured, "What have I done?"

"Nothing," Aerith said, opening her eyes, and smiling as Cloud put his sword away. "I knew you'd come."

For a moment, Harry thought that the moment of danger had passed, and he looked up idly, wondering what the others that Cloud mentioned were doing. And then, his eyes widened.

Something was falling, blocking out the light. At first, Harry thought it was maybe the body of one of Cloud's friends, only to see the black cloak, the silver hair, and the long, thin sword. Harry had been shown images of Sephiroth by Minerva, and he knew that Sephiroth was about to try and kill Aerith.

But what could he do? Panic rose in him. Sephiroth was going to impale Aerith, in a second or two, and she was the first human being in a long time to show ANY kindness to him. He needed to save her.

Harry's hands snapped out, and a blast of air slammed into Aerith, sending her into the platform's wall, winding her. A split-second later, Sephiroth's sword bit into the tile of the platform.

Harry felt a chill run down his spine when Sephiroth straightened, pulling his sword out of the floor with little effort, and turning his attention to Harry. The man was tall and muscled, his exposed skin incredibly pale. His clothing was darker than the most moonless night, save for the silver pauldrons on his shoulders. His face was thin and elegant, and it could have been beautiful had it not been so cruel-looking. Long, feminine strands of silver hair framed that face. But it was the eyes, cold, pale green, and slitted of pupils, that held Harry. They were the eyes of a predator, and they had him in their grasp.

"Well," Sephiroth purred in a cultured tone, "this was unexpected…"

**CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS**

**Wow! I just screwed with ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** canon in a big way. Doubtless many people have gone down this route before, but who have with Harry Potter? Hmm? The story of ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** will still go down a generally similar route, but with Aerith alive, and Cloud's secret to be exposed sooner (and a new member to join the party before long, and it isn't Harry), the faecal matter has just hit the fan.**

**1\. Obviously from the famous FMV (and its ****_Advent Children_**** remake) where Sephiroth is standing amongst the burning ruins of Nibelheim. Iconic and chilling.**

**2\. This is my take on the whole Sephiroth/Jenova will/instinct debate, as to whether Sephiroth was taken over by Jenova, or the reverse, or whether there was a fusion. And it will take an interesting turn, starting from the next chapter.**

**3\. Seriously, Barrett is basically Mr T as an ecoterrorist. As Harry grew up in the 80s, it's inconceivable he hasn't heard even a little of Mr T, even if it was while Dudley watched ****_The A-Team_**** while Harry was in the cupboard.**

**4\. I presume there was a reason why only three people went down into the Holy chamber. This is my take on it.**

**CHAPTER 2 SOUNDTRACK:**

**The Chamber of Holy****: ****_The Nightmare Begins_**** (FTG). Despite the rather sinister name, I actually like this bit of music.**

**Cloud Approaches****: ****_Trail of Blood_**** (FTG).**


	4. Chapter 3: J-E-N-O-V-A

**CHAPTER 3:**

**J-E-N-O-V-A**

Although he projected an outwardly calm demeanour, Sephiroth felt both frustration and surprise. He had expected Cloud to falter. Unfortunately, his friends did too good a job of stabilising his fragile merged personality, but even then, Sephiroth was willing to do his own dirty work, albeit by controlling one of his transformed 'clones' that Hojo had created. The man was a pathetic scientist, but he had his uses.

But to have Aerith pushed away at the last second by a mere boy…albeit a boy who hummed with the power of the Cetra…Sephiroth was annoyed. But he was also surprised, and this didn't happen often. The last time was when Cloud, as a teenaged Shinra trooper, had managed to attack Sephiroth from behind.

At least this time, it was merely a frustrating setback to an admittedly optional part of the plan. He knew, judging by the glowing Materia on Aerith's head, that Holy had been activated. But that meant little. He had enough knowledge pilfered from the Lifestream to know how to block it. His intention for killing Aerith was more to attack the group psychologically anyway, leaving them less capable of fighting back against him. Removing the last Ancient was a bonus.

It was funny. He used to think he was an Ancient, one of the rightful heirs to the Planet. Well, he was half-right, anyway. But he was far better than they ever were. The Ancients were mere humans with an extra ability. Whereas he was far more than just a mere human.

He hefted his sword, Masamune, into a casual position. The sword was laced with a poison that prevented Phoenix Downs or Life magic from being used. He smiled, inwardly, remembering skewering that pig of a Shinra President, and leaving a facsimile of the sword behind to sow the seeds of fear in those who found the corpse. A fitting marker to his advent(1).

He appraised the boy carefully. What the boy unleashed on Aerith could very well have been a Limit Break, but brought about more by a sudden burst of adrenalin rather than by outright battle. It wasn't unheard of, but rare. It might have been magic, albeit not derived from Materia use. It was possible, though, as with the possibility of it being a Limit Break, rare. And supposedly, only the Cetra could use that. Was the boy a Cetra? Sephiroth had thought Aerith the last of them. Perhaps not.

However, it was, in the end, irrelevant. The boy was powerful for his age, but he was no fighter. Sephiroth could see the fear in the boy's eyes. Clearly, he had heard about him. After all, who wouldn't?

Maintaining his composure, even given his annoyance, was easy. This was merely a small annoyance.

"You found another ally, it seems, Cloud."

"I've never seen him before," Cloud retorted, and he seemed to be telling the truth. Perhaps Aerith found this stray orphan? Maybe the boy was the last of the Ancients to reside here in their lost city. Tifa and Barrett were rushing up to the platform, and were readying themselves for combat.

Something about the boy gave Sephiroth pause. He could sense, to a certain degree, the life energy, like a Lifestream in miniature, throughout the people present. Aerith, Tifa, and Barrett were all untainted, while Cloud had the distinctive aura of Jenova cells tainting him. If only he knew.

But the boy…whatever was inside him definitely wasn't Jenova cells. There was something dark, centred on that lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. Another soul…well, part of one, it seemed. Like an infusion of darkest Mako energy.

No matter. The boy was less of a threat than even his pursuers, and they were little more than flies. Bothersome and dirty, but easily swatted.

And then, there was the other issue. Sephiroth wasn't going to deal with it now, but there was a small part of the Jenova consciousness within him that dissented with him, if only because it wanted to remain independent from him. Ludicrous. Jenova's cells and its consciousness sought unity at all times, and Sephiroth WAS that consciousness, now and forever. Perhaps he could deal with that issue now, by implanting that consciousness into the Jenova organism he intended to leave with them. He knew that those present could deal with it easily enough. And it would weaken them further. Win, win, as the masses said so wearily often.

Time to inject some discord to hasten Cloud's breakdown. "Well, you came to save the fair maiden," Sephiroth remarked sardonically. "But she has found her own protector, it seems. How does it feel, Cloud, to know how readily replaceable you are?"

"Shut up!" Cloud snarled.

"Oh, is that anger? But it can't be. You do not have real feelings, Cloud, for you see…"

Sephiroth shot into the air, ready to leave them to their battle. As a parting gift, he threw down the Jenova organism, and shouted(2), "You're nothing more than a puppet!"

* * *

It all happened so fast. As Sephiroth shouted his last words, something hit the platform, a grotesque, wriggling thing, like part of an alien body. Suddenly, it sprouted, growing with ridiculous speed, into…

…a monster.

It towered over the rest of them, easily. It was the purple of a bruise and the red of an open wound. It had a vaguely feminine outline, but it wasn't even remotely human, with thick wings of grotesque flesh splayed out in a parody of an angel. The head was long with deep-set eyes and a muzzle filled with fangs. A heart, or perhaps some other organ, pulsated macabrely on its side(3).

Four of those present recognised it immediately. A Jenova organism, similar to the creature they fought on the ship from Junon. Almost immediately, Aerith, recovering from where Harry pushed her, paid him back in kind, ushering him behind her. "Harry, use 'Regen' magic from the Restore Materia. Use it on all of us."

"O-o-okay," Harry stammered, concentrating on the green orb. He was rewarded by himself and the others being suffused with a gentle orange light.

Cloud and the young woman who was presumably Tifa had already entered the fray, Cloud swinging his enormous sword at the creature, while Tifa used her fists, covered in a special armoured glove. The huge black man, presumably Barrett, roared as he fired round after round from the machine gun mounted on the end of his right arm (where was his hand?). Aerith called down bolts of lightning upon the creature, which shrieked, and lashed out, sending Tifa flying.

Tifa hit the wall hard, but she became briefly surrounded by a glow. "You just volunteered for my Limit Break, bitch(4)," she snarled at Jenova. Suddenly, she leapt at the creature, her fists flying in a blur, dancing around the creature.

"Omnislash!(5)" Cloud bellowed after being hit by a burst of cyan energy, before leaping at the creature and slashing it repeatedly with his sword in a series of blindingly rapid blows.

Harry, desperate to help, concentrated on the summon material. It flared into life, and a blue-skinned woman, scantily clad, appeared. She looked at him, and smiled. "Aren't you the cute one?"

"Ah, thank you?" Harry said uncertainly. "Uh, could you please help?"

"For a polite one like you, certainly." The woman, Shiva, raised her hand into the air. "Feel the fangs of the cold, monster. DIAMOND DUST!"

The summon's magic was merely the _coup de grace_ to a battle already virtually over(6). The Jenova creature shrieked, and lurched forward, trying desperately to reach Harry. His eyes widened as it lunged forward, and then vomited all over him, green liquid splashing onto him. Then, the liquid seemed to surge, rushing into the scar on Harry's forehead, seemingly absorbed into it.

Harry swayed on his feet, and then fell to the ground in a dead faint. The last thing he heard before darkness overtook him was Aerith screaming his name.

* * *

As Aerith rushed to cradle Harry's limp body, Barrett looked over at Tifa and Cloud. "Who's the kid?"

"Beats me," Tifa said, rubbing her head. "Didn't he say his name was Harry Potter?"

"Yeah. But that could come from anywhere," Barrett growled. "I knew a few Harrys back at Corel, before Shinra burnt it down. Potter's an old name. What the hell is he doing here?"

"The Planet brought him here."

Aerith's voice cut through their discussion, and they all turned to face her as she lifted Harry's body. "Barrett, could you carry him for me?"

"Sure thing," Barrett said. He always had a soft spot for kids. He never got to have any of his own before his wife died, and his daughter, Marlene, was originally his old friend Dyne's. Barrett, however, didn't like to think about Dyne. Or about the demise of Corel.

"Let's take him up to one of the houses," Aerith said. "He'll need to rest. We all do."

Barrett nodded, and began walking towards those interminable stairs. Aerith, Tifa, and Cloud lingered behind.

"What were you doing here?" Tifa asked.

"Preparing a countermeasure. Sephiroth has the Black Materia, and he can summon Meteor any time. I think he'll wait until he's ready to do so, though. But there is the White Materia, the Ultimate White Magic. Holy."

Cloud's eyes widened as he made the connection. "Your so-called 'useless Materia'! It was Holy?!"

Aerith nodded. "Mother told me after the whole Temple fiasco. I came here to use it. Holy is perhaps the only thing capable of stopping Meteor before it destroys the Planet. Even so, Sephiroth probably knew that I've already activated it."

"Then why did he try to kill you?" Tifa asked.

"It's obvious," Cloud said. "He's attacking us psychologically, sowing discord, just as he did by taking control of me. Killing you could very well have broken us. What about the kid, this Harry Potter?"

"He comes from another world. The Planet spoke to me. Jenova first came here over two millennia ago, a calamity from the skies. She is, in effect, an alien. Some Cetra stayed to fight. Others fled to another world. They bred with the humans there, and stayed in hiding. They are a hidden culture of magic users. Harry is the son of two of them, and his parents were murdered by a wizard terrorist, who himself was defeated when his attempt to murder Harry went awry. A leader of the wizarding world sent Harry to his nearest relatives in a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to shield him from his fame and any enemies seeking revenge. But his relatives nearly finished what the terrorist started, and the Planet heard his plea for help. He was brought here."

"He saved your life," Cloud said, flatly. He didn't sound disappointed, but almost offended, like he didn't quite get the chance himself. Then again, he didn't look up at the right time. Maybe Aerith would have died if Harry hadn't been there.

"And bruised my dignity into the bargain," Aerith said with a cheeky smile, rubbing absently at her back, despite it being long healed of any bruises, thanks to the Regen effect Harry cast. "He can use magic without Materia, or even using a Limit Break. I can do the same, but it's very tiring(7)." Then, suddenly very serious and solemn, she turned to face them both. "Tifa, Cloud, once Harry is awake, we will head to Icicle Inn. And then, we'll have to have a serious talk."

"About what?" Cloud asked.

"Nibelheim."

Aerith could see that the word had sent a shiver down their respective spines, and not just because they had gone through the tragedy. There was also the fact that the town had been rebuilt, and the residents claimed that they had always lived there. And given what Minerva had said, Tifa's apprehension was for very different reasons to Cloud. Cloud was aware that something was being hidden from him, even if he didn't know it was Tifa hiding something from him.

And Tifa? She knew some of the truth. And Aerith knew that she dreaded telling it…

* * *

To Harry, the place seemed reminiscent of a train station. Brightly lit, and filled with a glowing mist, but it was a train station. Save for the fact that it was empty, apparently devoid of life. For a moment, Harry thought that he was alone.

Then, he heard the noises. A sort of soft thumping, like something small and pathetic struggling to move. He spotted it very soon, writhing and whimpering, underneath a seat.

Harry stared, repulsed. It had the look of a small child, if said child had deformities, and had been skinned alive. It had no nostrils, just snake-like slits. And its eyes were redder than its raw-looking skin. It whimpered and gasped.

"Pathetic little creature, isn't it?"

The calm, cultured voice came from behind him, and Harry shrieked, leaping and whipping around to face the newcomer. It was a woman, clad in long, purple and red robes, with blue skin, silver hair, and eyes that glowed orange. Her face was thin and elegant, beautiful, but haughty(8).

"Who're you?" Harry demanded.

"Who is but the function of what, and what I am is me.(9)"

Harry blinked in bemusement at the remark, trying to make sense of it, while the blue-skinned woman seemed to glide right past him. With her nose wrinkled in disgust, she reached under the seat, and yanked the strange creature beneath out by the foot. As it began wailing hoarsely in pain, Harry found his voice again. "Hey, leave that alone!"

"Why? Don't you know what this is? It's a soul, or rather, a damaged fragment of one." The woman smiled at the infantile creature, even as it howled in pain. "Someone's been naughty."

A fragment of a soul? Harry, remembering what Minerva had said, murmured, "Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" the woman asked. "What a strange name. But mine is pretty strange, so I guess I can't talk. A friend of yours?"

"He murdered my parents and tried to kill me," Harry said.

"So that's a no then." The woman shrugged. "Look, if you don't mind, I'll get rid of this for you. Consider it a favour for my landlord."

"Landlord?"

"Yes. You are my landlord, and I am your tenant. You give me a little living space in your head, and in return, I give you knowledge and power. You'll need it in this new world you have come to. Think it over." And with that, Harry's eyes closed, a million questions thought but left unsaid…

* * *

The woman looked down at the creature in her arms as Harry faded from view. "Ah, yes. A new host, one not affected by Sephiroth or the tainted Jenova cells. And he has very thoughtfully provided me with a meal. I consume Mako energy, you see, and that means that a soul is very delicious and nutritious, even if it's as fractured and corrupt as yours. Voldemort…do you have anything to say before I, Jenova, the Calamity from the Skies, eat you?"

The fragment of Voldemort's soul made an incoherent gurgling that was probably intended to mean, "_You can't do this! I am Lord Voldemort! I am immortal!_"

Jenova smirked. "Rejoice, creature. You shall be part of a greater whole." Then, grotesquely, her jaw lengthened, and she bent down to devour the fragment of Lord Voldemort's soul…

**CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS**

**Holy shit! Now we have dissension in the enemy camp, and Harry, instead of having a bit of Voldemort in his head, now has all that's left of the original consciousness of Jenova. Sorry if she's a bit hammy. I thought of her personality as being somewhere between Alexia Ashford from ****_Resident Evil: Code Veronica_**** and Evangeline AK McDowell from ****_Negima!_**** A little bit of Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange was put into the mix. Jenova has a mixture of haughtiness, hamminess, and childishness. Okay, she might be ruined as an enigmatic alien entity, but frankly, I thought it interesting to make her into a character in her own right, and put in a new spin on the whole Sephiroth/Jenova dynamic.**

**I used the 'King's Cross Afterlife' from Book 7 for this bit. I'd like to think of it as basically being the interface between Harry's mind and the spiritual world. He talked to Minerva elsewhere, though.**

**Also, ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_**** is the best battle music in the game, second only to ****_One-Winged Angel_****. Imagine it playing here during the battle against this version of Jenova: LIFE, rather than ****_Aerith's Theme_****, as Aerith isn't dead in this version. I recently replayed that sequence, and my eyes became teary, even though I knew what was coming…**

**1\. My explanation as to why Aerith (or President Shinra, for that matter) couldn't simply be revived with Life magic or a Phoenix Down. It would be like Sephiroth to lace his weapons with such a substance. At least in ****_Final Fantasy V_****, the party does try to use such items to save a certain party member after a fatal fight against Exdeath. Presumably either Cloud didn't need revival with such things at Nibelheim, or else Sephiroth hadn't used the substance on the Masamune yet. In addition, I believe Sephiroth merely left a facsimile of his sword in President Shinra's back.**

**2\. Sephiroth in the main game is capable of shouting, but in most works where he is voiced, he is supernaturally calm (George Newbern as Sephiroth is bloody scary). I decided to mix in him suddenly shouting for emphasis. Think a little like similar scenes in fiction. One I had in mind was Moriarty in ****_Sherlock: The Great Game_****, responding to Sherlock's pointing out that people had died in their game. Moriarty says, initially calmly, "That's what people ****_DO!_****" Some scenes with the Doctor, particularly the Ninth Doctor rebuking the Daleks for interrupting him in ****_Doctor Who: The Parting of the Ways_****, also come to mind. And, of course, there is Kadaj's rebuke to Cloud's assertion that he is a puppet. "Once upon a time…****_YOU WERE TOO!_****"**

**3\. The Jenova creatures you fight seem made to be difficult to describe. I've tried my best, or approaching my best, anyway.**

**4\. Tifa doesn't really swear much (the one time I noticed in the game was just before the slapping match with Scarlet), but I think she knows how close she came to losing Aerith. And given that Jenova effectively started Sephiroth's spiral into madness (that and, according to ****_Crisis Core_****, Genesis giving him a push) and thus robbed her of her hometown and family, well, she's understandably pissed.**

**5\. It is possible to get Omnislash without cheat codes before facing Jenova: LIFE, though it requires more than a little effort. In fact, during my recent playthrough of the Steam version of ****_Final Fantasy VII_****, I actually used Omnislash on Jenova: LIFE. I even have a couple of screenshots to prove it uploaded to the Steam Cloud. In this story, I guess Cloud was saving it initially to use on Sephiroth, but used it on Jenova instead. When I used it, it was overkill, but very satisfying after Aerith died.**

**6\. In the game, Omnislash would most likely have killed Jenova: LIFE already, unless the player is doing one of those low-level runs (which I wasn't). Here, Jenova: LIFE is barely alive by the time Diamond Dust hits it.**

**7\. Aerith is talking about focus-less magic. In other words, without a focus. Materia, as I will discuss later in the story when we get to the events of ****_Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_****, is sort of like a wand, only with an inverted effect. Most Materia have a specific effect, but seem to be powerful, and usable by anyone. Wands, on the other hand, seem to be weaker and usable only by witches and wizards, but can be used for a variety of magic. It's stated in the game that the Cetra could use magic. As wandless magic is stated in ****_Harry Potter_**** (can't remember whether this is canon or fanon, though) to be more tiring, I've added Aerith's caveat.**

**8\. This is the 'human' form of Jenova, based roughly on her appearance as the entity in the Nibelheim tank, but more humanised. As for her clothing, I thought that long robes, a bit like a ****_yukata_**** (a form of kimono) would evoke her 'wings' from her other forms.**

**9\. My own variation on V answering Evey's similar question from the movie version of ****_V for Vendetta_****.**

**CHAPTER 3 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Sephiroth Staredown****: ****_Those Chosen By The Planet_**** (FTG).**

**Kill Jenova!****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_**** (FTG).**

**Harry, Unconscious****: ****_Anxious Heart_**** (FTG).**

**The Train Station****: ****_City Music,_**** from ****_Doctor Who: The Daleks_****, composed by Tristram Carey.**

**Jenova: TRUE: ****_Succession of Witches_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VIII_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Yes, I am cribbing a villain theme from a later game. But I wanted a theme for Jenova proper, and not just the battle. Sephiroth has a very different main theme to his most famous battle theme, ****_One-Winged Angel_**** (though ****_Birth of a God_**** does reference ****_Those Chosen By The Planet_****).**


	5. Chapter 4: Let's Get This Party On The

**CHAPTER 4:**

**LET'S GET THIS PARTY ON THE ROAD**

Light seared his retinas as Harry woke up. He groaned a little in pain.

"He's waking up," said an unfamiliar voice right next to him, a low, gentle voice. Harry turned to look at the speaker, only to lock eyes with…was that a mountain lion?

Harry screamed, and the mountain lion, amazingly, recoiled. "It's okay!" the creature said, being apparently the one who spoke earlier. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

Harry panted, panicked. However, when he saw Aerith and some others enter the bedroom (what was with all the décor? And the spiral shape? It was like being in a shell…), and they didn't give the lion any fearful looks, only then did he calm down.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Aerith said. "Had I known you were going to wake, I would have left someone other than Nanaki(1) here."

The mountain lion inclined his head. Harry saw that he had red and orange fur, with a mane like a Mohawk, adorned with a piece of jewellery like a feather. The tip of his tail glowed like it was on fire. He had a number of scars and tattoos, and seemed to be missing an eye. "I'm sorry, young Harry," the lion said in his gentle, low voice. "Aerith was scared when she first met me."

"Yes, but Hojo was trapping us together. I don't know whether he was trying to fuse us, or breed us, and neither of those things sound good.(2)" Aerith had come forward to Harry, her eyes full of concern. "How are you? Fine?"

"A bit woozy, but I'm fine," Harry admitted. He then looked at the people who had entered. Not counting Aerith or Nanaki (assuming that was the lion's name), there were seven people present. He had met three of them already. Cloud was obvious. Then, there was the young woman in the tight-fitting tank-top and miniskirt, with the long black hair and warm brown eyes. That was Tifa, if he remembered. And the big, burly black man with the beard and the gun instead of a right arm was Barrett. But he didn't know the others. What a motley lot they were.

"Well, you've met Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett. I'll let the others introduce themselves."

The first to come up was a girl in her teens with short black hair and Asiatic features. "Hey there, Harry. I'm the great ninja of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

"More like great Materia thief," sniffed Barrett.

Yuffie rounded on Barrett, but Aerith put a calming hand on Yuffie's shoulder. "Anyway, Yuffie is the daughter of Lord Godo, the ruler of Wutai. While we've had our differences, she's decided to join us to the very end." Confidentially, she whispered to Harry, "She wants our Materia when we're done with it."

"Hey, nothing wrong with that!" Yuffie protested.

The next person to come forward was a blonde-haired man, tall and with rough and rugged features. A cigarette packet was stuck in the headband of the goggles pushed up on his forehead, and a spear was on his back. "Hi, kid. The name's Cid Highwind. Tell me, did they ever make it into space on your world?"

"Umm, yeah. They even landed on the Moon a few times, maybe twenty years ago."

This provoked an interesting reaction from Cid. He let loose a tirade of expletives. Harry flinched at the stream of invective coming from Cid. Eventually, the older man calmed down. "Damn. Sorry, kid. I was gonna be the first man into space on this world."

"You could still be," Harry ventured tentatively.

Cid froze, before smiling, and ruffling Harry's hair. "I like you, kid. You've still got dreams you can follow. Chase 'em down, and don't let 'em get away."

The next one that Aerith had introduce himself sent a shiver down Harry's spine. He was tall and thin, with dark hair framing his face. A tattered red cloak covered much of his body, with him wearing black clothing underneath. The high collar of the cloak and the red bandanna the man wore concealed much of his face. He also wore a golden gauntlet, and similar boots. But he was nice enough to him, despite the man's dark appearance. "Vincent Valentine. Thank you for helping Aerith."

As he moved away, the next one appeared, and he was the most bizarre of them all. At first, Harry thought that the large white…thing with the wide, betusked mouth and pathetically small purple bat wings was the one, but then, a cat perched on top of the first thing waved, and said, in somewhere between a Scottish and Southern accent(3), "I'm up here! Cait Sith, at your service! Fortuneteller, raconteur…"

"…and a spy for Shinra," Cloud added pointedly. "We're only letting him tag along because he's been useful."

The cat looked rather down, despite the fact that it seemed to perpetually smile. It even wore a cape and a crown. "Wow, Cloud, you really know how to bring a guy down. Didn't I prove myself at the Temple of the Ancients?"

"Look, your little sentimental speech as you sacrificed that body was nice and all," Cloud said, "but you're really at Shinra."

"And I'd be willing to put money on who you really are," Tifa said, her eyes narrowing(4).

"Anyway," Aerith said, "you've met Nanaki. When we first met him, he called himself 'Red XIII'. That was Professor Hojo's way of classifying him as a specimen. We learned his real name at his birthplace, Cosmo Canyon. So we've called him by his real name ever since.(5)"

"It's good to meet you, Harry," Nanaki said.

"Thank you," Harry said. Once he had gotten over the initial shock, Nanaki wasn't so scary. In fact, even with the scars, he was somewhat cuddly. Not cute, but cuddly.

"You're still set on him coming with us?" Cloud asked, looking at Aerith. It was clear to Harry that they had been arguing about the matter.

"You couldn't stop me from going with you to Sector 7."

"Yeah, but he's a kid."

"Regardless of that, we can't leave him here. This place is too isolated, abandoned even. And given that he's a Cetra, like me, Shinra will be after him." She looked pointedly at Cait Sith. "And in case you didn't notice, he worked fairly well on instruction. And he took his own initiative to summon Shiva against that Jenova creature. Admittedly, that only finished what your Limit Breaks started. But even so, he spoke politely to the summon creature. How many of us do that? At the very least, we take him to Icicle Inn. We'll decide what to do there."

The others accepted with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Cloud, Tifa and Cid seemed to be the most reluctant, while Vincent didn't seem to offer any opinions either way. Cait Sith was worried for Harry's safety, but seemed to accept Harry's presence, an attitude, ironically enough, that Barrett shared. Yuffie was very enthusiastic, though (proclaiming gleefully that she wasn't the youngest of the group any more), and Nanaki seemed as protective of Harry as Aerith was.

So, Harry was accepted into the party, for the time being. And they soon set out for Icicle Inn, leaving the City of the Ancients through a path leading from its back…

* * *

After traversing through some caves, they had emerged onto a snowy mountainside. Tifa, who had thought ahead, had brought jackets for everyone. She had brought one for Vincent, but he claimed not to feel the cold, so the oversized thick jacket serendipitously went to Harry. He was used to oversized clothing, given that he had to wear his rotund cousin's hand-me-downs.

Tifa frowned when he had said this, and she was thinking about this the whole time as she trekked up the gentle slopes of the mountain. The boy was normal enough, but she had seen enough signs to tell something was wrong. Of course, Aerith, while persuading the others to take him along, had told them about what she knew about his childhood, as well as the bruises she had seen before she healed them.

Tifa had never experienced the sting of parental abuse, thankfully. Her father was admittedly overprotective, and sometimes shouted and swore at anyone who he thought had bad intentions towards her, but to her, he was doting and gentle(6). But she had seen the signs too often while living and working in the slums of Midgar. Sometimes, she meted out impromptu justice with her fists if she saw it happening in front of her. In fact, when Cloud attacked Aerith in the City of the Ancients, she reacted before she even thought, and knocked him out with a single punch.

Aerith…Cait Sith, before going off to sacrifice one of his remote-controlled bodies, had checked Cloud and Aerith's compatibility, while Tifa was nearby. Cait Sith's proclamation had hurt, that Aerith and Cloud were made for each other. So why was Aerith being so guarded around Cloud now? Was it his attack, caused by Sephiroth influencing Cloud? Or was it something else?

Tifa returned her gaze to Harry, who was gazing around at the snow. Yuffie, Cait Sith, and Nanaki (she still thought of him as Red XIII at times) had taken to protecting him, with the former often joking and playing around. In fact, Yuffie and Harry were engaged in a running snowball fight. Tifa, despite or because of the frivolity of that compared to their situation, smiled. Yuffie seemed to latch onto Harry almost instantly like a little brother. Then again, Aerith had a similar attitude.

And speak of the devil, and she's at your shoulder. Aerith was coming to Tifa. "How about we bring up the rear? Cloud, Barrett, and Cid are taking point."

"A good idea," Tifa said. She got the hidden message. _I want to talk without people listening in_.

However, it seemed that someone would be listening in anyway. The lanky, sinister form of Vincent Valentine joined them, his shot-rifle ready by his side. "Vincent…" Aerith said, before Vincent held up a hand.

"I have concerns about Cloud too. We all do. But I think I know part of the answer," he said in his raspy voice. "Jenova cells."

"Jenova cells?" Tifa asked. "Cloud has Jenova cells inside him?"

Aerith, casting a look at Vincent, began telling Tifa about what Minerva had told him. Tifa, to her credit, merely listened. She looked pale, but she listened. At the end of it, she said, quietly, "So he was really there, but as a lowly Shinra trooper…and he hid his face out of shame." She then turned to Aerith. "And Zack was your boyfriend?"

"Yes. Minerva told me he had been murdered by Shinra troopers after he escaped Nibelheim."

Tifa's face fell. "…I'm sorry. I…I sort of remember bits of what happened. I don't remember actually attacking Sephiroth, but I remember Zack trying to help me, and I told him to go away, as I hated him(7). I was angry because my father and my friends had been murdered by Sephiroth, I saw him as another Shinra killer."

Aerith nodded, accepting that. Turning to Vincent, she asked, "How did you know about the Jenova cells?"

"I did not spend all of my time within my coffin. On occasion, I ventured out to read the notes Hojo left behind in the laboratory, in hope of understanding what he did to me. He spoke of a Reunion Theory, and of the control Jenova cells can exert on other beings. I did not read much, for what I did read repulsed me.(8)"

"And Shinra took or destroyed many of the notes," Tifa murmured. "So the people at Nibelheim…"

"Hired by Shinra. Presumably to cover up after Sephiroth's rampage," Aerith said. "It's the only sane explanation I can think of."

Vincent snorted. "And the survivors doubtless became Hojo's guinea pigs."

Tifa, at this, frowned. "But…what of me?"

"I don't know. Someone may have found you first and took you away."

"If your…goddess said Cloud and Zack were wounded during the fight against Sephiroth, it probably wasn't them. I know Dad died. Maybe it was Zangan, my old martial arts teacher." Tifa's face fell. "The problem is, I don't know what happened to him."

"Probably had to flee Shinra's troops," Vincent said. "The real problem is, how do we tell Cloud? If he does have an amalgam of Zack's memories with his own, once the inconsistencies are pointed out to him, he may have a breakdown. And he'll be even more vulnerable to Sephiroth's control."

"I know that!" Tifa snapped. "But I've been afraid to tell him that I haven't seen him for seven years, rather than the five he thought it was. That I never saw him at Nibelheim, except in a shock-induced delirium. That you told me he was there is a relief. I was worried…worried he might be something else. A cuckoo in AVALANCHE. First, Shinra's cuckoo, and then, Sephiroth's. Only his actions seemed to prove otherwise…"

As Tifa trailed off, Aerith nodded sympathetically. "But he isn't. He is Cloud. Infected by Jenova cells, and a danger, but that's why we need to tell him, and soon. Icicle Inn is probably the best place to do so. And there's another reason why I want to go there."

"Two reasons," Vincent said quietly. "Professor Gast Faremis(9)…and Ifalna."

Tifa frowned. She knew that Ifalna was Aerith's mother. Hojo had mentioned her in the board meeting at Shinra HQ almost a few weeks ago, and when they confronted Hojo at the Costa del Sol beach, he had mentioned her then while being his usual callous self to Aerith. "Gast? Didn't Cloud say that he was the head of the Jenova Project? What did he have to do with your mother Aerith?"

Aerith was quiet for a moment, before she said, "He was my father. My birth name was Aerith Faremis. And his private laboratory, where he changed from studying my mother to loving her, is in Icicle Inn. I think we might find some answers there…"

* * *

"Snowball attack!" Yuffie yelled, pelting Harry with snowball after snowball. Thankfully, Cait Sith decided to team up with Harry, and while Cait Sith shielded the young wizard, Harry made snowballs of his own, and began pelting them at Yuffie, who wailed, "No fair!"

Harry laughed. The few times he had been allowed to go out in the snow, Dudley had basically used him for target practise, with him and his friends pelting Harry with snowballs so hard, he ended up black and blue all over. Hell, at one point, they made him stand in front of a fence and made up an impromptu firing squad, though snowballs, thankfully, were considerably less lethal than the bullets Dudley was pretending to fire.

"Stop it!" Yuffie squealed. "Nanaki, help me!"

The mountain lion-like beast merely shook his head. "Snow's hard to get out of my fur, Yuffie. You're on your own."

"Traitor!" she yelped, before Cait Sith and Harry managed to hit her simultaneously.

_That's rich, coming from the little harridan who stole our Materia as soon as we set foot in her home continent_, Nanaki thought. He also knew that she wanted their Materia once this business with Sephiroth was finished. But she had proved herself in battle time and time again, and behind her selfish and cocky demeanour was a true pride in her country, and a desire to protect others. He could see it in how she seemed to treat Harry as a little brother. There was a protective side to Yuffie that was coming to the fore around Harry.

Barrett would also be protective of Harry, Nanaki knew. The best thing about Barrett was his protectiveness of his adopted daughter, Marlene. So great was it, that he fought Marlene's actual father, Dyne, to the death, when Dyne, consumed by madness and learning of Marlene's survival, decided that his dead wife was lonely, and that Dyne was going to find Marlene, and send her to his wife. In the aftermath of the battle, a dying Dyne, realising the depth of his madness, chose to commit suicide rather than hurt Marlene, admonishing Barrett to take care of her. Barrett didn't even need to be asked, though his confrontation with Dyne had left him shaken.

_And what of me?_ Nanaki thought. _Grandpa wanted me to help protect the Planet. If what Aerith said was true, Harry was sent here by the very consciousness of the Planet. Grandpa said that the Planet is dying, but perhaps Harry can help. If he truly is of Cetra extraction, maybe he and Aerith can finish what AVALANCHE starts. Healing the world, so it may live a bit longer_.

_And where there's life, there's hope._ Definitely a cliché, but one that had some truth in it. And the boy was rather likeable. Despite everything he went through, and the signs of psychological damage were there, he was still happy. Indeed, he seemed to be spreading his wings.

But there was something bothering Nanaki. Ever since Barrett brought the boy out from the chamber that the others had confronted Sephiroth and Jenova in, Nanaki had been bothered by a strange scent coming from the boy. He had been bothered by a similar scent for some time, one that had been coming from Cloud. And he knew, somehow, it didn't bode well…

**CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS**

**You'll notice I'm making Cloud a bit more antagonistic and paranoid. There is a reason, and it will come to a head at the Crater, particularly in the aftermath of the Jenova: DEATH fight. Thanks partly to Sephiroth's influence and partly to Harry's mysterious appearance, his psyche is beginning to crumble a bit more. The next chapter or two has this happen even more, as the truth about Nibelheim is revealed. Don't worry, I'm not bashing Cloud. Indeed, he's going to come out of this far stronger and better than he is in the game.**

**Red XIII, or Nanaki, has smelled the Jenova cells in Harry and Cloud. Oh dear.**

**1\. I habitually rename 'Red XIII' as his real name, 'Nanaki', on my playthroughs of the game lately. It's amusing when the party gets to Cosmo Canyon and Cloud asks "Who is Nanaki?" I've chosen to have him called Nanaki rather than Red XIII, as I believe that it probably helps humanise the character.**

**2\. Why the hell did Hojo think he could interbreed them? Or why did he think it was a good idea at all? I know Red XIII's species is long-lived, but still, I think Hojo was just a pervert who got off on forced xenophilia (I'd call it bestiality, but Red XIII is intelligent and sentient).**

**3\. Cait Sith speaks with a pronounced Southern accent towards the end of the game, at least in the English version, whereas in ****_Advent Children_**** and ****_Dirge of Cerberus_****, he has a Scottish accent. This is my attempt at reconciling the two, though God knows what it sounds like. Good luck imagining it. :P**

**4\. Reeve's concern for others is seen early on, and he's the only Shinra executive the others see who gives a damn about rebuilding Sector 7. Tifa is probably making a guess, but she's made the right one.**

**5\. My in-story justification for keeping his real name.**

**6\. Tifa's father is understandably angry with Cloud, but I got the feeling he was overprotective of her anyway. He never bothered to ask for Cloud's side of the story. I thought of him as a very overprotective father.**

**7\. This is based on dialogue from ****_Crisis Core_**** rather than the main game.**

**8\. This is my attempt to explain how Vincent knows so much about Geostigma and Jenova cells in ****_Advent Children_****. I doubt he spent every second of his imprisonment in the coffin.**

**9\. Faremis is Professor Gast's last name, according to Final Fantasy Wiki, and its source is the Ultimania Guide for the game. Which would make Aerith's true name Aerith Faremis (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?). Aerith probably kept her adoptive mother's name out of respect to Elmyra's kindness.**

**CHAPTER 4 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Harry Meets the Gang****: ****_Barret's Theme_**** (FTG). Yes, I know I'm misspelling Barrett's name in the fanfic. It's a bad habit. Deal with it.**

**A Heart to Heart Talk****: ****_Anxious Heart_**** (FTG). Yes, I am using it again. It gets used frequently throughout the game. Deal with it.**

**Snowball Fight****: ****_Holding My Feelings In My Heart_**** (FTG). I never knew the name of this track until I searched for it. Deal with it. :P**


	6. Chapter 5: Revelations at the Icicle Inn

**CHAPTER 5:**

**REVELATIONS AT THE ICICLE INN**

_They had left him, bleeding and dying on the floor of his home. They had taken everything he had truly valued away from him. That bastard Hojo had taken Ifalna, and Aerith, away from him._

_But there was one last thing he could do._

_He knew he was dead. All the way up here in Icicle Inn, there wasn't medical facilities good enough for more than broken bones and sprained ankles sustained by skiiers and snowboarders. Hypothermia was also treatable._

_Gunshot wounds weren't. And he'd need to be airlifted to the nearest hospital. He would probably die, even if Shinra didn't interfere._

_Better, then, to resign himself to his fate, and make the most of his time. He couldn't do anything to stop Hojo, but he could do something else._

_Hojo needed them alive. And that meant that, sooner or later, they might escape, they might come back. Aerith would know her mother, but may never know her real father._

_He managed to find the camera, not the one Hojo had his minions shoot, but the one he had been taking home movies of baby Aerith with. A portable camera, and one which he could use with one hand, while he kept the other clapped over his bleeding side._

_"Gast Faremis Recording…Final. Intended recipient: Aerith Faremis. To anyone other than Aerith who listens to this, know that this is meant for my daughter. If anyone at Shinra finds this, and has even a shred of conscience, they will give it to her, or else tell her where to find it."_

_Sighing, gathering himself, hoping that the drugs he injected himself with would help ease the pain long enough to do what he needed to, he began to speak._

_"Hi, Aerith. I…I wonder what you look like now, when you're watching this, or even if you're watching this. Are you five? Ten? Twenty? I hope you know I'm your father, Gast Faremis. Mostly known as Professor Gast. The Wisest Fool of all the Planet."_

_He winced, feeling a sharp stab of pain through the fog of opiate painkillers. Rallying, he pressed on._

_"I hope your mother is with you. As much as I'd love to see her again, I know the only way that will happen is if she returns to the Planet, and…" He let out a pained sob. "Aerith, I hope your mother told you the truth about how we met. It wasn't in some romantic moment. Rather, she was a prisoner, a specimen brought to me and Hojo. And I was assigned to study her, like some sort of animal. I was so caught up in the excitement of studying an actual Ancient, rather than some fossilized remains, that I forgot that she was a human being. But gradually, that changed. I began to have feelings for her. And then, she told me about Jenova. I had used the name from some Ancient inscriptions I had translated, thinking it was the name of a long-buried Ancient. But when I compared Ifalna's biology to that of Jenova…I knew she was right. I had used a monster to help create monsters, monsters like Sephiroth and Genesis Rhapsodos. I know of at least two Shinra personnel who disappeared during the Jenova Project that I knew well: Vincent Valentine, a Turk, and Professor Lucrezia Crescent, a former paramour of Hojo and the mother of his child: Sephiroth."_

_He coughed up blood. Not much time now. Not much time before he returned to the Planet. But not before he said his piece._

_"When we set up here, I originally intended to continue my research, only away from Shinra, and into finding a way of stopping Jenova. But your mother and I…we fell in love. And one day…Ifalna gave birth to you. That was the happiest day of my life, and I had hoped for many more, like when you learned to talk, or to walk. When you'd learn to read, or snow ski. When you have a boyfriend. But…thanks to Hojo, as you may have seen in an earlier video…that isn't to be. I'm dying, Aerith, I'm returning to the Planet. I fear death, I'd be lying if I said otherwise. But I'm afraid I will never see you become the beautiful young woman I know you'll become. But I also must place a terrible burden on you. Shinra needs to be stopped. And the results of their experiments with Jenova…they're threats to the Planet. I have left for you all your mother taught me, as well as what I have learned through my own researches. Use it well, and help save the Planet. Goodbye, Aerith. I hope you make me proud. And…I'm sorry for not protecting you better."_

_He then shut off the camera, and uploaded the video to his computer database. Within the hour, Professor Gast Faremis had returned to the Planet…_

* * *

Aerith stared at the black screen, not knowing what to think. Of course, her mother hadn't really said much about exactly how they had met (though she mentioned Icicle Inn many times as Aerith's birthplace), but Aerith had been a child at the time, and had always wanted her father painted in the best light. It wasn't until she had been captured by Shinra recently that Hojo strove to put a pin in that particular balloon.

Not that Aerith fully believed Hojo. His cruel words when she was put into the specimen chamber made her doubt the pedestal that her father had been placed on. But she also knew what Hojo was like. He put on a cold-hearted façade, claiming to be a scientist, a creature of logic, but in truth, he was a sadist who liked inflicting pain and suffering. He was an intelligent man, but also an evil one. Even Sephiroth, his son, had, to all accounts, been a decent, if cold and ruthless, man before Nibelheim pushed him into insanity. True, now Sephiroth had become like his father, a sadist who took as much delight in causing physical torment as he did psychological. But he at least had reasons for causing pain, other than personal pleasure. Hojo was simply a sadist for its own ends.

Cloud was staring at the screen, horrified and saddened, as was everyone else present. They had made it to Icicle Inn without trouble, and had been directed to Gast's old house. Aerith would have thought it felt like home. It felt like A home, long abandoned, but not like her home. That was back in Midgar, with Elmyra.

To hear her father confess to her about these things…she felt her earlier doubts lift away. He confessed his sins, though to be honest, the worst of them were to do with Jenova rather than her mother. So she felt no hatred in her heart towards him, just a smidgen of disappointment.

She caught the eyes of Vincent Valentine, who quickly looked away. She remembered when they first met him, the tone of his voice when he mentioned Lucrezia. He had loved her, or at least been smitten with her. No wonder he hated Hojo, and not just because of Sephiroth being enhanced by Jenova cells thanks to Hojo.

"Aerith…" Cloud said, approaching her, "I'm sorry." He meant it, too.

"So am I," Aerith said. "There was a reason other than my father that we came here. Something we should have done long ago. Something everyone needs to hear. Especially you, Cloud."

Cloud blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Sit, please. Because what you're about to hear isn't going to be easy. But you need to hear it. I just didn't think that the City of the Ancients was the right place to do it." Aerith wondered how best she would begin, before Tifa spoke up.

"Cloud…I never saw you at Nibelheim, save for at the very end, after I was wounded by Sephiroth. And even then, I was nearly dead from my injuries. I only met two SOLDIER members: Sephiroth, and Zack Fair."

Cloud stared at Tifa, as if betrayed. To be fair to him, Aerith knew it felt like one. But before he could deny it, or act in anger, Cait Sith said, "It's true, you know."

"What?" Aerith asked. "What do you mean?"

"I've been pulling all sorts of files from Shinra's military. Heidegger has a lot of files, even those of Lazard Deusericus(1), the former director of SOLDIER. Cloud Strife did try out for SOLDIER. But he was rejected, and recruited into the regular army, albeit with the possibility that, if he improves, he be promoted to SOLDIER. Last known assignment was heavily redacted, but the dates coincide with those you claim for Nibelheim's destruction.(2)"

Cloud went as pale as a sheet, but when Tifa tried to comfort him, he pushed her away. "Why? Why didn't you tell me, Tifa?"

"I…I was scared. Uncertain. I…"

"Don't blame her, Cloud," Aerith said. "I had my own suspicions. You reminded me of my old boyfriend, Zack. The SOLDIER whose memories you share."

"The one from Gongaga!" Cloud exclaimed, remembering Aerith and Tifa's reactions when they met Zack's parents. "But…how do I have his memories?"

"Jenova cells," Vincent said. "You have had a Mako infusion, and Jenova cells. I would put money on Hojo having experimented on you after Nibelheim. You and Zack must have escaped, and he told you what had happened when you weren't around. You were probably in an impressionable state. Hojo probably put you through the same process as those who enter SOLDIER do, and heavy doses of Mako leaves many people in a catatonic state, and the Jenova cells affect memory and appearance. He may have talked to you to try and help break you out of your state, not knowing that he was filling in your memories with his own. It was neither your fault nor his own. Unfortunate circumstance led to it. But the Jenova cells within you mean that Sephiroth has a backdoor to your mind and body. That was how he took control at the Temple of the Ancients, and at the altar in the Forgotten City."

"So that's why Cloud smelled…odd," Nanaki spoke up. And then, he made one of the worst blunders in his life. "But why does Harry smell the same way?"

Harry froze, and saw that everyone's attention was now on him. Eventually, he said, "Well, that Jenova creature spewed all over me. Maybe that's why…"

"I saw what happened," Cloud said, his face darkening with suspicion. "It all rushed into that scar of yours. So I'm not the only cuckoo Sephiroth has in the nest."

"And what would you suggest Cloud?" Aerith said, fixing him with a glare. The way his hand had moved, just a little, to his buster sword suggested that for a moment, he contemplated harming Harry. Unspoken, save for her glare, were the words, _Anything you say about him, you say about yourself as well_. And most of those present got that undercurrent. Even Barrett, who was somewhat obtuse at times, got it. And between a ten-year old, mistreated child and a grown man with issues, most of those present would protect the child, especially as he had not shown any signs of being influenced by Jenova. Not yet, anyway.

Cloud, realising this, relaxed slightly. "We keep an eye on him. We've enough trouble as it is with me and Cait Sith in the party. But answer me this, Aerith: how do you know it was the Planet telling you about him? The Sephiroth we have been chasing…it could very well be a phantom. Remember what your mother said on those tapes, that Jenova took on the form of deceased loved ones to deceive the Cetra. You may not have Jenova cells in your body, but is that any guarantee that you, or any of you are free from Jenova's influence?"

Vincent was the one who answered. "Jenova can exert some small influence over others. And those with the cells in their bodies can be influenced more. The main difference between you and Harry," he said, looking down at the child in question, who looked understandably shaken, "is that his exposure to Jenova cells has only been recent, a couple of days, and inflicted on him by a dying Jenova monster. At least we know, and can take precautions."

"Then it's true. I _am_ a freak."

The small, plaintive voice surprised them all. Holding his head in his hands was the small form of Harry Potter. For a moment, silence fell. Then, the boy got up and fled before anyone could do anything.

* * *

It was true. He was a freak. Harry began weeping as he ran through the snowy grounds of Icicle Inn. He had thought since coming to this new world, he'd have a chance to be somewhere he would be loved, where he belonged, where he could sleep somewhere other than a cupboard under the stairs.

But no. It seemed he was destined to be a freak. Always a freak.

He didn't hear the shouting, didn't realise what was happening until he ran into someone, and ended up knocking them both over. "Oof! Hey, be careful, kid!"

Harry, blinking away tears, found himself looking at a pretty young woman with brown eyes and short blonde hair. She was wearing an elegant, dark-blue suit, now covered in snow. And on either side were soldiers, clad mostly in blue.

He had run, he realised, to the icy slope where skiers and snowboarders began their trip down to the Great Glacier. Had he hit her harder, they would both be sliding down that incline.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter, kid?" the young woman asked as she helped him up. "Where's your parents?"

"…Dead," Harry said.

The woman's face fell. "Oh, I am SO sorry," she said hastily, almost babbling. "But don't you have somewhere to stay?"

Harry shook his head. He wasn't sure he had anywhere to stay.

"Come on. Surely a kid like you has people looking after you?" It was then that the young woman noticed the bracelet with Materia on it. "Wow, a kid as young as you with Materia? Who gave you that?"

"I did."

The young woman looked up sharply, and then her eyes narrowed. The two soldiers flanking her raised their weapons. "You!" she yelped.

"Is that all I get?" Aerith asked, readying her staff, Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett following close behind. "One pronoun(3)?"

"Shut up! You lot have got some nerve messing up my boss like that!" The woman yelled.

"Your boss? Elena, Tseng got messed up by Sephiroth. We healed him, even helped him out of the Temple before it got destroyed."

"You're lying! He was in a coma when we found him! He may never wake up(4)!" Elena, if that was the woman's name, looked down at Harry. "Wait, is this the kid we were told about? Another Ancient?"

"Dammit, Cait Sith…" Tifa grumbled.

Elena looked down at Harry, who was looking into her face with confusion. "Sorry, kid. I'm with Shinra's Administrative Research Division. Better known as the Turks. Look, you're better off away from these guys."

"Oh yeah?!" Barrett shouted. "Leave Harry with the spies, kidnappers, and assassins of Shinra? I don't think so!"

"As if he'd be better off with terrorists!" Elena retorted. "Do you know how many people died when your bombs destroyed Reactor 1 and Reactor 5? Or don't you care?"

"They were just Shinra!" Barrett retorted, though the slight glint of uncertainty in his eye was more present in Tifa's. Cloud looked uncertain himself, but angry.

"And how many of them were a threat to you?"

"Sacrifices have gotta be made for the Planet!" Barrett said. But he was wavering.

"They didn't ask for it. Maybe the troopers, you could argue against, but the techies and the maintenance people? How does it feel to be a mass murderer?"

"I don't know," Tifa said with a low growl. "Why don't you ask Reno? Or Tseng? They were the ones who brought the Sector 7 plate down…on President Shinra's orders. How many people died there? More than both reactors combined, I reckon. The reactors were mostly automated, but what of the people in the Sector 7 slums?(5)"

Elena was taken aback briefly, before she gestured. A fairly large squad of Shinra troopers surrounded them both. The others, reluctantly, lowered their weapons. "You're surrounded," Elena said, rather redundantly. "And I'm going to get my revenge on you for what you did to Tseng."

"It was Sephiroth, damn it!" Cloud snarled.

"Liar!" Elena yelled, striding up to him, leaving Harry with the two troopers. "I have orders to bring you in alive, but I'm not going to let you go without making a mark. Talking alone isn't going to cut it, so I'm going to make you feel some pain." With that, she lashed out with her fist. Harry was impressed. Elena's fist was practically a blur, on a par with Tifa's blows.

But Cloud, moving with unnatural speed, dodged to the side, and Elena toppled over…and began sliding down the slope. The troopers moved out of the way, but Harry was hit by the sliding Turk.

"Harry!" Aerith screamed, and ran after them, trying to help, only to slip and slide on the ice herself. Soon, the three of them were sliding at incredible speed down the mountain, screaming all the while. The slope seemed to go on forever, until finally, they were flying through the air.

Harry screamed in unison with the two women with him, before the white ground rushed up at him, and everything went dark…

**CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS**

**Wow! There's a turn-up for the books. Cloud has been told the truth, though he is, understandably, finding it hard to accept. And he has just alienated Harry. Indeed, Harry is going to find it hard to trust the rest of the team for a little while.**

**Now, the next chapter, in the second episode, will bring us back to the Potterverse. This is a crossover, and not just a ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** AU with Harry in it. There will be Dumbledore, but Dumbledore-bashers will probably be disappointed, despite the (original) chapter name of ****_An Old Man's Folly_****. You'll have to wait until later to find out what happened to Harry, Aerith, and Elena.**

**Speaking of Elena, I never intended for this to happen initially, but when I was thinking about this chapter, having Elena and Harry not only meet, but team up so to speak, appealed. Elena is the most human of the Turks, though Reno and Rude do get some redemption in ****_Advent Children_****. People seem to forget that, while President Shinra ordered the destruction of the Sector 7 slums, it was Reno and Tseng who carried it out. I'd assume that Reno and Tseng did make up with AVALANCHE between the events of the game and ****_Advent Children_****. Who knows?**

**1\. The director of SOLDIER in ****_Crisis Core_****. He ends up becoming a clone of Genesis Rhapsodos. Funnily enough, Lazard is actually Rufus Shinra's bastard half-brother.**

**2\. Cait Sith, from what I heard, is sceptical about Nibelheim's destruction, especially when he arrives in the reconstructed town. But he is controlled by Reeve, and Reeve is mostly blind (sometimes wilfully so) to Shinra's more illicit activities. This marks, in this story, the turning point where he sort of believes. I have a problem thinking that Reeve would not have looked up Cloud's personnel files to see whether he was in SOLDIER or not.**

**3\. I couldn't resist a reference to ****_The Last Days of FoxHOUND_****. Big Boss (in Liquid Snake's body: it's complicated) says, upon meeting the Sorrow again, "You?!" The Sorrow, via a placard, replies in much the same manner as Aerith does.**

**4\. My personal explanation why you never encounter Tseng again in the game. In the original translation, Elena all but states that Tseng is dead, whereas the PC version states that he is badly injured.**

**5\. This bit is partly derived from Cait Sith's berating of Barrett later in the game. Elena is somewhat naïve, but her argument is very valid, as is Tifa's rebuttal. I imagine the reactors were mostly automated, and most of the personnel were guards and a few technicians. Even so, enough people other than those must have died for Cait Sith to be as angry with Barrett as he was.**

**CHAPTER 5 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Gast's Testament****: ****_Aerith's Theme_**** (FTG). This is a sad moment for Aerith, watching her father die on tape, so I thought this is where it should be finally used.**

**Painful Truths****: ****_Who…Am I?_**** (FTG). This is involved with many of Cloud's mental problems, and so works here. It also works with Nanaki's revelation.**

**Sliding Down The Slope****: ****_Crazy Motorcycle Chase_**** (FTG).**

**AUTHOR'S UPDATE: I'm still getting used to the Doc Manager of , so I've had to edit the chapters both to deal with how the footnotes come up in the story (they don't support superscript font alteration :( ) and doing those lines to suggest scene breaks. In future, this will be checked more carefully.**


	7. Episode 2 News and Preview

**EPISODE 2 NEWS AND PREVIEW**

_Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_, while not my first attempt at fanfic by any means, was the first I felt was competent enough to publish in any way. In fact, I found myself drawn into writing the story, after an initially bumpy start. That's a good thing for a writer, a story that actually draws you into writing. I just wish I was able to continue with some of my non-fanfiction works, but writer's block is a bitch.

I was astonished at how many favourites and follows it got after I released the first episode of five chapters. And it's only been, what, two days? I'm tempted to post the second episode now. But I'm not going to for a number of reasons.

One: I write at my own pace. I'm currently writing chapter 14, which is the penultimate (or second-last if you don't want to consult a dictionary) chapter of episode 3, _Guests of Shinra_. The wellspring of creativity may dry up (I love that quote from _BioShock_ by Sander Cohen which sums up my own writing ability: "_My muse is a fickle bitch, with a short attention span!_"), or else I get some inspiration for another work, and I'd rather spend time on one of my original stories than on a fanfic. No offence intended. And I don't want to post episode 2 until after I have finished episode 3 at the very least.

Two: Expectations might rise too high for frequent updates. Like I said, my time might be needed elsewhere later on, and if I update too frequently, you, the readers, may be disappointed that I'm not updating as frequently as I did.

Three: I haven't finished polishing it yet. While my writing skills aren't that great, I nonetheless have a pedantic, 'perfectionist' streak that keeps cropping up at the worst possible time (I think I have a touch of George Lucas in me, given my endless revisions to my works). Chapter 7, in particular, needed a touch more polish, as it is one of the weaker chapters in the second episode (dealing, as it does, with Harry, Aerith, and Elena's adventure on the Great Glacier). I have finished, for the moment, with it. In addition, I needed to write the suggested soundtrack footnotes for the chapters (the actual footnotes, I write with the story). Chapter 6 was a hard one to put a soundtrack to, as it was concerned mostly with Dumbledore, and my knowledge of the _Harry Potter_ films is limited (I have read all seven books, but have only watched the first two films in their entirety, though I have watched bits from most of the others).

If I finish episode 3, I will still wait at least a week after the initial release of episode 1 before I post episode 2. Yes, I know, you may want it now. There is a shitload of entertaining fanfic out there that I can recommend.

If you want a _Harry Potter_ story that becomes ridiculously entertaining, even if it bashes the hell out of Dumbledore, the Hogwarts teachers, and a good chunk of the Order of the Phoenix (not to mention smashing canon like a troll's club smashing an egg), you can't go past _Saying No_ by Bobmin356. I also enjoy the works of Gregg Landsman, and it's a major pity he stopped working on _Nobody Dies_, which is, in my opinion, the best fanfic ever written (and not just the best _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ fanfic), if only because of its entertainment value. I also recommend _Glorious Shotgun Princess_ (his crossover between _Mass Effect_ and the Exalted Tabletop RPG) and his still-short but hopefully to be updated _The Long Night of the Harvest_ (_Evangelion_ meets _Mass Effect_).

Actually, it's also worth pointing out that one of the very first fanfics I ever read was a _Final Fantasy VII_ fanfic. In fact, it was a series of fanfics, by a man by the name of Frank Verdosa, starting with one called _The Search for Aeris_. I had all but forgotten about them until I started playing _Final Fantasy VII_ recently, and I idly wondered where they had gotten to, though I couldn't remember enough to try and Google them. I then stumbled across mknote's reposting of these stories on this very website, and while they have since been superseded by canon and are a bit clunky, it's likely that without them, this story may not exist.

Sorry, I prattle on. Anyway, in closing, I will leave you with a preview of _Episode 2: Catastrophe at the Crater_. I had the series 4 closing theme for _Doctor Who_ running through my head while doing this, so that's the recommended soundtrack…

* * *

_"But I'll tell you one thing," Croaker said, fixing Dumbledore with a stern gaze. "Harry Potter may very well be out of your reach, and You-Know-Who's, forever."_

* * *

_"It seems that Harry Potter is the first person to successfully use the Goddess' Gate that I know of. And he did it through accidental magic."_

_"Really?" Dumbledore demanded. "Then…would I be able to try and send someone after him?"_

* * *

_Reno's voice spoke to Elena over the connection. "What's your status?"_

_"Permission to speak freely?"_

_"Granted, as long as it's professional."_

_"Up shit creek, without a paddle."_

_There was a brief pause, before Reno said, "Yep, that's standard professional terminology."_

* * *

_Jenova scoffed. "Humans…they have the temerity to call me cruel, but just from your memories alone, never mind the ones I have absorbed, you are capable of far greater cruelties than I. I am at least true to what I am."_

_"And what is that?" Harry asked._

_She leaned forward, fixed him with her glowing, orange eyes, and said, quietly, "A predator."_

* * *

_"Anyway, I thought you'd be glad to have Aerith and Harry back safe and sound." And then, Tifa remembered Cloud's actions back at Icicle Inn._

_Seeing her look, Cloud said, quietly, "A small part of me wishes that he did die in the snow." Holding up a hand, he says, "I know that's horrible. I don't want the kid to die, especially if what Aerith said is true, and he's been through a lot already. But…how long before he falls under the influence of Sephiroth? How long before he's like me, a danger to us all?"_

* * *

_Tifa and Elena were gazing around the Crater. The climb up the sides had been long and hard, but now they were here… "This must be where Jenova landed all those years ago," Tifa murmured._

_"It is," Aerith said, pointing at the central peak, with the Mako surging around it. "Even now, the Planet struggles to heal the wound."_

* * *

_"Tifa," Cloud said, his eyes meeting those of Sephiroth's. "Go back."_

_"What, and let you die in some stupid blaze of glory?"_

_"Well, it would be stupid," Sephiroth remarked. "But I doubt it'd be glorious."_

* * *

_A sickly green light seemed to emanate from the mass, before finally, it strobed, forcing everyone to look away, save for Harry, who was still kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain. They blinked away the afterimages seared on their retinas, only to find something new standing there._

_It was like a woman, blue-skinned and silvery-haired. Completely naked, tall and elegant, with a thin, beautiful, but cruel face._

_It was Cloud who recognised her first, his face twisting into a mask of fury and hatred. "Jenova," he hissed._

_"In the flesh, as it were, puppet," Jenova said, her orange eyes glinting cruelly. "I am reborn. And I will not tolerate any obstacles in my path. You will die, puppet…"_


	8. Chapter 6: The Goddess' Gate

**EPISODE 2:**

**CATASTROPHE AT THE CRATER**

_Terror…often arises from a pervasive sense of disestablishment; that things are in the unmaking._

_-_Danse Macabre_, by Stephen King_

**CHAPTER 6:**

**THE GODDESS' GATE**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, and possessor of far too many names, titles and awards, was a troubled man. In a life that had passed more than a century in length, there were few circumstances, amazingly, that had him as troubled as he was now.

Harry Potter was missing. In fact, the only thing that showed that Harry was alive and in good health was one of the many instruments Dumbledore had tied to Harry's magic. Every other instrument relating to the boy was still. The locators, the blood ward monitors, they were all as motionless as a corpse, a morbid metaphor Dumbledore instantly regretted. Harry Potter was still alive. That was the only good thing about the situation, he thought, as he sat in his office, contemplating things.

Not that he had told anyone else, not yet. He knew recriminations would swiftly follow, and not just from members of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter was the saviour of the Wizarding World (well, Dumbledore was almost certain that Lily deserved that title more, but muggleborn tended not to get due credit), and that meant that any news about him spread like uncontrolled fiendfyre. And in any case, one of Dumbledore's less salutary traits was that he hoarded knowledge like a dragon hoarded treasure. Indeed, he was taking a major gamble in what he was about to do: share information, namely that of Harry Potter's former residence. But he needed the help of someone who potentially had more knowledge than he.

Dumbledore was willing to admit that there were many who had more knowledge than he, particularly in certain areas. He was perhaps less willing to admit, much of the time, that there were others whose judgement might be better than his. To be fair to him, many of his decisions were good ones, or at least well-meant. But he had made a number of bad decisions, many of them involving one Harry James Potter. At least where Harry was concerned, he agonised over these decisions, even as he rallied himself to stay the course.

And now, he knew that many of those decisions had come back to haunt him, almost as badly as the ghost of Ariana.

He was waiting now, outside 4 Privet Drive, for the second time in as many days, now in the cold early January evening, under a Disillusionment spell. Minerva could handle any emergency in his absence. He hoped.

"Professor Dumbledore."

The raspy voice came almost out of nowhere, and it was all Dumbledore could do not to leap into the air. It was rare that he was surprised so easily, but being under a Disillusionment spell, and being deep in thought meant that such a surprise did startle him. He turned to see the figure of Saul Croaker, one of the top Unspeakables, so named because their work in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic was top secret.

Croaker was a rather non-descript man with deep-set and darkly ringed eyes(1). Unlike Dumbledore, Croaker had made the effort to dress in something like Muggle clothing, in a rather rumpled but still distinguished suit, like one worn by an overworked civil servant.

"Mr Croaker. Shall we?"

"Yes. So, this is the household you wanted me to look at? Why?"

"I need an oath on your magic that you cannot reveal…" Dumbledore thought carefully, before saying, "…the identity of the former occupant."

"No need. I already know, as do others in my department. However, I will take an oath. I swear on my magic not to reveal to anyone who does not know that this is the residence of Harry James Potter. So mote it be." Magic briefly swirled around the Unspeakable, but thankfully, it didn't disturb the rather bland and cold quiet of the suburban street.

Dumbledore was surprised that the Unspeakables, or at least one of them, knew of Harry's whereabouts. "How did you know?"

"It's not hard, for anyone with a decent brain and the ability to use it. If they knew who his nearest relatives in the Muggle world are, then it is merely a matter of looking them up in a Muggle telephone directory. Evans is a not uncommon name, though Dursley is a bit more unique. Of course, many in our world view Muggle innovations with bemusement at best, and more often with contempt. Therefore, they are blind to such a possibility, thankfully for Mr Potter. And there are other, more esoteric ways and means that I should not speak about here." He frowned, looking at the house. And then, he said another thing that shocked Dumbledore. "Where are the blood wards?"

"How do you…?"

"Ways and means(2)," Croaker said quietly. "But that can wait. What can you tell me?"

Dumbledore, having been kept off-balance through much of this conversation, was determined to get back to what he wanted to do. So he told Croaker, of how he had come to the Dursley household. The reason was that the instrument that had shown the status of the blood wards had suddenly shrieked an alarm, and it was only then that Dumbledore had realised many of the other instruments had been inert for some time.

His presence here wasn't at all welcome. He had been forced to stun Vernon Dursley, who had been ranting about 'freaks' and 'the boy'. Petunia was no less belligerent, but more forthcoming about details: Harry had disappeared in the middle of the night, perhaps two nights ago now(3). However, she seemed reluctant to divulge any further details, and Dumbledore had been forced to resort to Legilimency. He detested doing it, but it was an emergency. He needed to know what had happened to Harry.

What he saw appalled him.

Dumbledore knew that the Dursleys would probably not keep Harry in a loving environment. Perhaps they would neglect him. But this…he would have kept Harry here had the blood wards still been established(4), but now…

Harry had been treated like a house elf. Kept in a cupboard beneath the stairs, kept on a near-starvation diet, forced to perform far more household chores than any single child should be expected to perform, and subjected to regular verbal and psychological abuse. And on rare but horrid occasion, Vernon, when drunk, would beat Harry into a pulp. It was the night of the latest beating that Harry had disappeared. And Dumbledore still had no idea where. If he had simply run away, then the locator instruments could easily have found him.

"_They're the worst kind of muggles_," Minerva had said, that fateful night nine years ago. And while something of an exaggeration, Dumbledore did see that they were not the best of guardians, not by a long shot. They held the worst kind of attitudes behind a façade of contrived mundanity, like an apple that turns out to be rotten when it is cut in half.

Dumbledore didn't think he could re-establish the blood wards here. It had been based on Lily's sacrifice, and it might mean another person's death to do so. If he found Harry, he would have to find better guardians. He had repeated, albeit in a somewhat different manner, the same mistakes he had made with Tom Marvolo Riddle, known almost exclusively nowadays as Lord Voldemort and his various sobriquets.

Upon further investigation of the cupboard (leaving Vernon and Petunia stunned as he did so), he found residue of an unusual magic. Not of the scar that he suspected to be a horcrux(5), but of something else, something he had no experience with. Hence his bringing in Croaker.

After listening to Dumbledore's explanation, Croaker nodded. "I see. How well will they take to us being there?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid."

"I didn't think so. Which is why I came prepared. I did my research before coming here, and learned that the Dursleys have claimed benefits from the Muggles for looking after Harry(6). I could also pose as a Muggle official who has received notice of Harry fleeing the house, and go alone. Hence…" He indicated his clothing. "I'm not sure whether the Muggle government do surprise inspections, but I can bluff my way through it."

"And I arranged a modest stipend from Gringotts out of the family vault to look after him, more than enough to cover meals and clothing…and they used it for themselves," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Then I believe I may have some fun," Croaker said, before going to the door. It was after six, but not so late that an official would not make a visit, at least plausibly.

Dumbledore waited, refreshing his Disillusionment spell. There were a few raised voices at first, but Croaker clearly had some gift for diplomacy, and wasn't as attached to the situation. Eventually, he left, with Petunia Dursley following him a step or two out of the door, her manner sickeningly obsequious.

That being said, Dumbledore did see that Petunia had some small concern for her nephew when he went through her memories. But it was drowned beneath an ocean of resentment and jealousy that she took out on her nephew.

Croaker approached Dumbledore, though not before checking to see that Petunia Dursley had retreated back into the house. "We'll need to talk somewhere in absolute privacy, Professor. Not your office, or mine. And I will need an oath on your magic as well."

Dumbledore nodded. "Would the Leaky Cauldron suffice?"

"Probably, once Tom's given us a room I can ward. I also think I need a drink after dealing with those Muggles. Almost as bad as Umbridge(7). But I'll tell you one thing," Croaker said, fixing Dumbledore with a stern gaze. "Harry Potter may very well be out of your reach, and You-Know-Who's, forever."

* * *

That pronouncement had left Dumbledore profoundly disturbed, and as deeply curious, but he restrained himself until they got to the Leaky Cauldron, and got the room they wanted from Tom, the bartender. Tom was used to the Unspeakables using his rooms for private business while out in the field, and didn't ask many questions.

Once they entered the room, Croaker used so many privacy wards, Dumbledore knew that Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, of all people, would call him paranoid. And then, Croaker demanded the oath.

"What if I need to talk to Harry about this?"

Croaker frowned. Eventually, he nodded. "But in this world, the less people know about this, the better. He may know what he did already, or have some inkling. I will tell you the bare minimum that you can tell the people you truly trust. Even now, I am taking a risk divulging this, but you took a risk inviting me along tonight."

"Very well." Dumbledore made the oath. He didn't do so lightly. But he noticed Croaker's usage of the phrase, _in this world_. "Now, Mr Croaker, what has happened?"

"I am not completely sure, Professor. Please understand that. But what I have inferred…it comes back to a legend, deep within our people's folklore. Not that of the Muggles. But of our kind."

"I'm not sure I follow you."

"No. Well, have you ever heard of the Legend of the Cetra Exodus?"

Dumbledore frowned as he racked his brains. Eventually, he said, "I have heard of it, in passing. Not in much detail, as I am more of a student of more recent history."

"Then, describe what you know."

"Well, according to the legend, two thousand years ago, strange portals appeared around the world, in sites sacred to wizards and witches, including Stonehenge and the like. Through these portals, hundreds of people emerged. They spoke strange tongues, but were able to swiftly learn the languages of our ancestors. They called themselves Cetra, or The People in their tongue, and they were fleeing their world, as it was attacked by some great calamity from the skies, Jeh-Nohva. They were all powerful magic users, and interbred with us. It is a somewhat obscure legend, though. I thought that somewhere, something got lost in translation, that the other world they were fleeing was a magical settlement that had been destroyed by a meteorite or some sort of flying animal like a dragon. 'Calamity from the Skies' is a somewhat broad term."

"Well, your scepticism is understandable, but ultimately unfounded. The Cetra did come from another world. What you know is mostly the truth, but not the whole of the truth, and not by a long shot. We have certain texts that were handed down by the Cetra, as well as certain artifacts. What we do know is that these Cetra only were able to flee here with the blessing of their world, Gaia. The spell they used was the Goddess' Gate. I had done some tests with the spell that they left us, and while nobody has yet been able to transport themselves to this other world, I nonetheless know what the spell feels like. And what I detected in the cupboard was very like the Goddess' Gate. It seems that Harry Potter is the first person to successfully use the Goddess' Gate that I know of. And he did it through accidental magic."

"Really?" Dumbledore demanded. "Then…would I be able to try and send someone after him? Or at least a message of some sort?"

Croaker considered this. "I wouldn't try and send a person. We have tried, and the book we have in there says that only those who have the favour of the goddess can do it. If neither I nor any of my fellow Unspeakables could manage it, then I doubt you could, with all due respect. That being said, messages like a letter could potentially be sent without any problem, providing no other enchantments are involved. Professor, if I may be so bold, I suggest that if you do send a message his way, you be as frank as you can. The boy lived in appalling conditions, and he would hate the person who left him there. If you give as many reasons as he can safely learn, then you might have a chance of enticing the boy back, if only to attend Hogwarts. I'll work with you on finding a way to send messages his way, but only the goddess controls the gate. It also means that Voldemort(8) may not be able to get to him."

Dumbledore, reluctantly, nodded. "Then, you will find a way to send him a message? I believe I will go and compose something."

"I will. It shouldn't be too hard. The goddess' favour is fine for written communication, apparently, but not for personal transport. Hopefully, you can send Harry a letter before long."

But what would he write? Dumbledore thought as he parted ways with Croaker. What could he possibly say to placate the boy he had so grievously wronged? Perhaps Dumbledore had erred deeply. Perhaps now, Harry was set on a path that would have him rival his old lover Grindlewald and his former student Tom Riddle. Dumbledore hoped, beyond all hope, that he could salvage this before it was too late.

And without Harry Potter, the final victory over Voldemort was never going to be sure…

**CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS**

**Originally, this chapter was entitled 'An Old Man's Folly', and with good reason. Dumbledore is a deeply flawed character, a control freak who hasn't quite shaken off his 'for the greater good' thoughts. That being said, I actually hate Dumbledore bashing. I like some stories with it in, and I see the point of some of the bashing, but I decided to write Dumbledore closer to how Rowling did so. That is, as a fundamentally good and decent man, but with some appalling habits (his control issues, his knowledge hoarding, his tendency to not look at anything but the bigger picture), and somewhat ineffectual and reactive rather than proactive. But ultimately, my Dumbledore is a good guy, and once he learns that the horcrux within Harry no longer exists, he will be elated. It means that his plans that end with Harry dying aren't needed, and I cannot believe for a single second that the canon Dumbledore truly wanted Harry dead unless it was absolutely necessary.**

**I liked some of the more nuanced but non-bashing characterisations of Dumbledore, like the distant, utilitarian, and Machiavellian figure of Arsinoe de Blassenville's ****_The Best Revenge_****, the complex and harried but ultimately half-decent version in ****_Harry Potter and the Ultimate Force_**** (a crossover with ****_Oh My Goddess!_****) by DarkKing666, a not dissimilar version in ****_Blue Magic_**** (a crossover with ****_Mass Effect_****) by Tellur, and the one who is closest to canon but who is deconstructed and reconstructed at the same time, in both ****_The Accidental Animagus_**** by white squirrel, and ****_A Marauder's Plan_**** by CatsAreCool (Dumbledore is nicer in the former, but he is both fully deconstructed and then reconstructed in the latter, and becomes a better character for it). I hope that my Dumbledore will approach the level of some of those works, and I highly recommend them, especially the first one and its sequel. ****_The Best Revenge_**** and ****_The Best Revenge: Time of the Basilisk_**** is amongst the best fanfiction ever written, second, IMO, only to Gregg Landsman's ridiculously entertaining ****_Evangelion_**** fanfic, ****_Nobody Dies_****.**

**If you don't like your Harry Potter fanfic without bashing, bugger off. I will point out the flaws in these characters, but the only ones I will bash are those who deserve it. Snape, for example, though I have plans for him that will make him better than canon…**

**1\. I don't think Croaker is ever described in the series. I think he looks rather like an older Graham Crowden, but with less ham.**

**2\. I'm sure the Unspeakables know a lot more about what's going on than they let on. Some fanon says that Lily worked for them, and perhaps, in the universe of this story, she did. Maybe that's how Croaker knows…**

**3\. Time runs more or less at the same pace on both worlds, and I'd imagine, in reality, the events of the first five chapters took place over the course of a couple of days (including travel).**

**4\. As he did in canon. I have to wonder how powerful Dumbledore thought the blood wards were, as opposed to how powerful they really were. I heard in fanon that it was Lily who established the blood protection at the Dursleys to help them, but Dumbledore basically blundered in and cocked things up by linking them to Harry's personal protection. So I'm using that as a basis here. Of course, either Dumbledore is ridiculously blinkered, or else too old-fashioned to see the Dursleys' actions (at least from a distance) as anything other than neglectful at best. Either he couldn't see that he was in danger of turning Harry into another Dark Lord, or he thought that the blood wards were worth the risk. Probably the latter.**

**5\. Arsinoe de Blasseville, and other writers, have suggested that Dumbledore strongly suspects (but doesn't know for sure) Harry's scar of containing a horcrux at this point in time. I've gone with that here.**

**6\. Another idea from Arsinoe de Blasseville's ****_The Best Revenge_****. The Dursleys presumably equate affluence with normality, an all-too-common affliction in today's society.**

**7\. Umbridge and Petunia have a lot in common, I've realised. They're both women who put on a sickly-sweet façade, but are really acidic inside. They also make efforts to seem obsequious until they are really in control. The only difference is, I don't think Petunia is completely beyond redemption. Umbridge, however, deserves a lot more than she got. By the way, I hated ****_The Order of the Phoenix_****, and Umbridge was just one of the issues I took…umbrage with.**

**8\. You might have noticed that, out in the street, Croaker said 'You-Know-Who', but in the privacy of a heavily warded room, he used 'Voldemort'. This is actually deliberate. I find it hard to believe that Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Sirius were the only people seemingly capable of using Voldemort's name on a regular basis in the Wizarding World, so I had Croaker be a sort of middle ground. Out in the street, in a public place, he uses the sobriquet, but in private, with a man he trusts enough, he uses the name.**

**CHAPTER 6 SOUNDTRACK:**

**An Old Man and His Folly****: ****_Secure Place (Save Room Theme)_****, from ****_Resident Evil 2_****, composed by Masami Ueda, Shusaku Uchiyama, and Syun Nishigaki. You might be surprised to find a track from the ****_Resident Evil_**** games here, but I wanted something both melancholy and a little dark, to reflect the darkness of Dumbledore's decisions, and I found the save room themes from ****_Resident Evil 2_**** and 3 like this. I thought the third game's save room theme was just a touch too dark and not melancholy enough.**

**The Cetra Heritage****: ****_The Flow of Life_**** (FTG). This track is used for Bugenhagen's exposition about the Planet and its life cycle. I thought it suited the exposition Croaker uses here.**


	9. Chapter 7: The Abominable Snow-Woman

**CHAPTER 7:**

**THE ABOMINABLE SNOW-WOMAN**

Harry woke with a pained groan, only to find himself cold, and covered in snow. He ached all over, though thankfully, he didn't seem to have any broken bones. Just bruises and a cut or two. As he got to his feet, he realised he wasn't alone. Aerith was sprawled in the snow not far from him, while that Shinra woman, Elena, was a little further away.

He panicked, before he used the Restore Materia to heal both himself and the women of their small injuries. But what to do then? He very nearly went to wake them up, until he remembered. And the small comforts he had built up upon arriving in this world had come crashing down on him, leaving terror and uncertainty in its wake.

He had Jenova cells within him. And the way that the others were discussing it, it meant that he could become Sephiroth's puppet at any time. And that woman in his head…

He was a freak. He knew it. Life had just made it happen to him again. And now he was a danger to others. A ticking time bomb, just like his aunt and uncle described him to neighbours, teachers, and family alike, only worse, because it was actually true.

So he made what was probably not a very bright decision in retrospect.

He fled across the snows, pausing only to leave some potions and a tent with the two women. He knew that Cloud and the others would soon follow, but the items he had, he needed to leave some with Aerith and Elena.

He, however, needed to be alone, away from the others.

Soon after he fled, he came to a frozen lake. Rather stupidly, he ran across it, only to be soon rewarded by the sound of breaking ice, and the chill of the water as he plunged into it. As he sunk swiftly into the cold, cold water, the last thing he thought he saw was a woman staring down at him. Had Aerith or Elena managed to follow him?

No. It was finally over. Maybe to die, to return to the Planet, wasn't so bad after all(1)…

* * *

Back where Harry left them, Aerith woke first, shivering. She did have a thick coat on(2), but the cold out here was astounding. It took her a moment to realise Harry was missing. She called for him for a while, but upon receiving no answer, went over to Elena. "Wake up. Wake up!"

Elena suddenly sat bolt upright. "I'm awake, Reno! Stop shaking me! I…" She realised where she was and who was waking her, and a rather ambivalent expression came over her face. "Oh. It's you. Dunno whether to be glad it's not Reno, or angry that we're…wait, we're on the Great Glacier, aren't we?"

"I think so. Harry's missing. And look," she said, pointing to the items. "I gave him these just before we left for Icicle Inn. He left them here for us, I think."

"Do you think that kid left to get help?" Elena asked, hugging herself to keep warm.

"Maybe. Or maybe…oh no. Maybe he left us…because he's worried about hurting us."

"Hurting us? How can that kid hurt us?"

"He's an Ancient, like me. He has a well of magical power that doesn't need Materia or a Limit Break to use. But he's also infected with Jenova cells."

"Jenova cells? What's going on?" Elena demanded.

"I'll tell you on the way. Come on! We have to find him!" Aerith said, gathering up the items, and setting off. She began listening to the Planet, hoping beyond hope that it would tell her where Harry was. Before it was too late.

* * *

Harry stirred, only to frown when he saw the strange train station once more, the one he had been in before. "Where is this place?" he asked, more to the air than anything else. He hadn't been expecting a reply

And yet, he still got one.

"Nowhere, and yet somewhere. We are in your mind, in one of your oldest memories."

Harry, who had been lying on a seat, scrambled to his feet. He stared at the woman, the same blue-skinned woman as before. Only now, he was sure he knew who she was. "Jenova!" he hissed.

She gave a rather sardonic bow. "My reputation precedes me, it seems. Though that was the name given to me by the Cetra. Jeh-Nohva. The Calamity from the Skies. You seem to have found out with more alacrity than I thought."

Harry didn't know what alacrity meant, but he could guess. "Others figured it out."

"I know. I have access to your memories. I can see into the depths of your very soul, Harry James Potter. And you did a foolish thing fleeing like that. The ice is a killer, and you're now very nearly dead. And if you're about to say some foolish sentiment about it being worth it to get rid of me, save it. I survived a long journey, longer than any other living being still alive, through the very deepest and darkest depths of the cosmos. I have survived lava and poisons and all manners of creatures attacking me, including this very Planet. My cells are nigh invincible, even if the bodies that they make up can be killed. Do you seriously think ice cold water would hinder one such as I? I, who have suffered the cold vacuum of space and the indignity of a prison of rock and stone for millennia? In fact, dying would have merely destroyed your soul, and left mine ready to control your corpse."

After a while, Harry said, "Am I not dead?"

"Did you listen? You're very close, though I think you have been rescued, and not by the other Ancient or that Shinra peon(3)." Jenova sniffed haughtily. "So it allowed me to pull you into what is effectively a construct of your mind. Not my construct, funnily enough, but yours. I've never heard of a train station called King's Cross, and why do they have a Platform numbered 9 ¾, hmm?"

"I've never been to King's Cross Station," Harry said(4).

"You were when you were but an infant. Your parents took you, to see something called the Hogwarts Express, whatever that is. It's perhaps your first memory that is clear, at least enough for me to interpret and bring forward. I'd say you were just below the age of one. I know how memories feel and taste, believe me. There's another one, too, one of Voldemort murdering your mother. He tells her to stand aside, but she tries to sacrifice herself for you. She dies, with him saying something like 'Abracadabra', and then, he tries it on you. Then, there's a big bang. I haven't seen a magical explosion that focused and yet powerful since the last time I got hit with an Ultima spell.(5)" She scoffed. "Humans…they have the temerity to call me cruel, but just from your memories alone, never mind the ones I have absorbed, you are capable of far greater cruelties than I. I am at least true to what I am."

"And what is that?" Harry asked.

She leaned forward, fixed him with her glowing, orange eyes, and said, quietly, "A predator."

For a moment, everything was still. Then, she straightened, and walked off. "You should be thanking me, you know," she said over her shoulder. "I consumed that fragment of Lord Voldemort's soul that was in your head. He tasted rather bitter, but I suppose he could be something of an acquired taste. Not that much of a meal, though. Not many memories that I could take, though I left the parseltongue with you."

"Parseltongue?"

"You can talk to snakes and some other reptiles. I got that information from Voldemort's soul. Besides, we have one thing in common, one thing that unites us."

"And what's that?"

"Sephiroth. A desire to see him destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Harry yelped incredulously. "But you're his mother! He dropped you right on top of us!"

"He wanted rid of the last remnants of the Jenova overmind that refused to bow to his will, which is me. He thought that either I would kill you, and then he could kill me or subsume me under his will, or you would kill me. In all likelihood, the latter. I gave him power over every mortal on this world, and he took it, and more, the greedy little bastard. But he is not Jenova, or the successor to her will. **I** am Jenova. And I will not bow to his will. Or to that of Minerva. The goddess cannot help you, Harry Potter. I am in your body, your mind, and your soul. And if she can't purge my cells from those Hojo infected, then she can never evict me from you, any more than you can." Jenova then looked around. "Ah, it seems that you are recovering. Remember, Harry Potter, that to survive, one must be strong. I can give you power to be strong, so you are never weak again. Think it over. Take your time…"

And then, the train station faded away, into cold darkness…

* * *

Harry's eyes flickered open blearily, focusing on the figure standing over him, a beautiful woman dressed in thick winter clothes. But the look in her eyes was, if anything, worse than Jenova. Jenova was haughty and proud. This look was of a predator who had found a meal. "Oh, so you're awake," she purred, in a tone that suggested that Harry was out of the freezer…and into the frying pan…

* * *

Elena shivered as they trudged through the snow. She hadn't expected to be out in the snow for long, and while she wore thermals underneath her suit, it wasn't quite enough for this most biting cold. They had stopped, briefly, at a hot spring, just long enough to warm their numb hands and fill canteens with hot water, and then they continued.

Aerith had soon been directed where to go to find Harry, and as they made their way, Aerith told Elena about what had happened. The enthusiastic Turk absorbed it all. While technically they were enemies, they were forced together against the cold, and for all her eagerness to prove herself in the Turks, Elena was probably one of their more moral members, not yet worn down by the cynical nature of the job. And of course, at Wutai, Aerith had helped save Elena and Yuffie from the lecherous Don Corneo.

Elena wasn't a complete idiot, either. Clumsy and impulsive, but she also knew that to antagonise Aerith was to invite disaster. Survival often needed teamwork, and to the young woman's credit, she was one of the top survival trainees within the Turks' training regimen. And she had, wisely, stocked up on Fire-based weapons and had a high-level Fire Materia, along with a Restore Materia.

"So…this Cloud guy was never in SOLDIER, but got the memories of some guy named Zack?" Elena said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Yeah. Know anything about that?"

"I think Tseng said something about trying to save some guy named Zack, but Shinra caught up to him first. I heard one of our number, Cissnei, visits the parents sometimes(6)." Elena glanced at Aerith. "Why join up with AVALANCHE, though? I mean, avoiding Shinra's one thing. I sort of understand that. But joining up with terrorists? You DO know what AVALANCHE nearly did even before Barrett took over? Hell, if anything, he's tame by comparison(7). And I don't say that lightly."

Aerith gave Elena a look. "AVALANCHE didn't take my mother from me. AVALANCHE didn't experiment on me. When I first met Cloud, he helped me up and bought one of my flowers. When we arrived at Sector 7 and found out that Shinra was about to destroy the pillar, Tifa and Cloud's first thoughts were to tell the people to evacuate, and had me get Barrett's daughter out of there. I can't speak as much for Barrett or for the others with him, but Cloud and Tifa are good people. And I know Tifa actually gave a damn about the people who died in the explosions. But if the Planet dies because of Shinra's predations, what then?"

Any further discussion was halted when Aerith realised that they had reached their destination, a small cave in the side of a hillock. Any doubt was erased when they heard Harry's scream of fear. The two women rushed into the cave, to find Harry cowering away from a woman in bulky winter clothes. Aerith, without thinking, rushed forward and grabbed her.

The reaction she got was surprising. The woman shrieked as her clothes seemingly melted away, and she clutched her shoulder. Soon, she was a blue-skinned woman with pale blue hair, and dressed in little more than what looked like a one-piece swimsuit. "How dare you touch me with that hand? You've been at the hot springs, haven't you?" she demanded.

"What did you do to Harry?" Aerith yelled.

The woman sneered. "Saved his life. After all, I like my prey warm, and fresh."

"The legendary Snow-Woman," Elena gasped. "A creature of the Great Glacier who saps the life-force from travellers. And you'd do that to a child?"

"Why not? Humans are all prey to me," the Snow-Woman said. "Even you."

Aerith had already begun summoning Ifrit. When the horned, demonic figure appeared in a spiral of flames, she said, "Ifrit, use Hellfire, please."

"**_Understood_**," the creature said in a bass rumble, before zipping forward, engulfing the Snow-Woman in flames. She shrieked in pain, but looked relatively unharmed.

"It'll take more than that to kill me!" she snarled. "I have been feeding off lost travellers for centuries, and I will do so until the end of the world."

"FIRAGA!" Elena yelled, as the Snow-Woman was hit by a massive burning explosion.

The Snow-Woman sneered, before seemingly to blow them a kiss. Aerith and Elena soon found themselves mostly encased in ice, only their faces being free. "Learn your place, mortals. For defying me, I will first make you watch as I feed on the boy."

"NO!" Harry screamed from behind the Snow-Woman. Aerith thought she felt the distinctive energy of a Limit Break emanating from the boy. And suddenly, a blast of light hit the Snow-Woman from behind. She screamed, twisting and convulsing, as the light ate at her flesh, ageing her from a beautiful and buxom creature to a twisted and haggard crone, before the flesh fell from her bones, and the bones crumbled into dust. The light hit Aerith and Elena, who flinched, but all it did was melt the ice they had been encased in, and heal them from the frostbite they had suffered during their brief but intense incarceration.

And there was Harry, his eyes wide, before he curled into a ball, and began sobbing. Aerith understood why. He was a ten-year old boy, and had just killed someone. Okay, it was an evil monster, but one who looked like a human, and talked like one. Jenova, at least, had just been a gigantic beast who had attacked them without speaking, and the monsters they had fought on the trip to Icicle Inn were really animals. But he had just killed another sentient being at the age of ten.

As Aerith and Elena approached, he shrieked, "Go away! Leave me alone!" He began to sob. "I'm a freak…" he moaned. "No…I'm a monster."

"What, because you killed her? You saved our lives, kid, and your own. And she said it herself, she's been killing people for centuries," Elena said. "What, did you want to have us die?"

"No, but…"

"Then stop crying. She isn't worth your tears." Elena went over to him, and hugged him. "Kid…Harry, you saved us. Thanks. Look, we'll try to get back somewhere safe and warm. Then we can worry about this. I cried too."

Aerith watched as Harry realised what Elena meant. _I cried too_. She had cried when she had first taken a human life. Then, Harry allowed himself to get up. "Thank you, Harry. I think you used a Limit Break there."

"A Limit Break? Like the ones I saw you guys use?"

"Yes. What did you do?"

"I…I thought about what my mother would do. And then, I heard her voice, and that of…Voldemort. I didn't want her to die, so…something just came out. It was like she was right there beside me, putting her energy into my attack."

Aerith frowned. Perhaps that protection Minerva mentioned had managed to be channelled into an attack by Harry. His mother's love, protecting him. Destroying his enemy, and helping and healing his allies.

"We'll call that one the Mother's Fire(8)," Aerith decided. "Come on. Let's find somewhere better to shelter for the night."

"What's this?" Harry said, noticing a red glint amongst the ashes that was once the Snow-Woman. Gingerly, he pulled out a red Materia.

Elena's eyes widened. "So that's where it was!"

"What?" Aerith asked.

"There were rumours on the grapevine that a legendary summon Materia was hidden somewhere on the Great Glacier, the only one known to use Holy magic. Alexander, the Citadel that uses divine Judgement on one's foes. If that's Alexander, we've got a really powerful Materia."

Aerith and Harry's eyes widened, and Aerith gestured to Harry. "Take it. It'll be of better use here than Shiva. The creatures here are used to the cold."

"…So you still want me with you?"

Aerith smiled. "Yes, of course. If I was worried about Jenova cells, I wouldn't let Cloud anywhere near me. Anyway, I've always wanted a little brother."

"Ugh, don't talk to me about siblings," Elena grouched. But the three of them left the cave of the Snow-Woman, ready to trek across the snows in search of better shelter. And Harry, while still disquieted, nonetheless felt a small surge of hope in his soul with Aerith's words. She wanted him as a brother. He smiled, even in the bitter, bitter blizzard…

**CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS**

**Okay, bad pun for the chapter title, but I couldn't resist. And yes, I know the drama about Harry fleeing the others is somewhat contrived. Deal with it. He's a ten year old kid who has just had to deal with a lot of shit. He's understandably freaking out. I also thought that having Aerith and Elena together as travelling companions might be interesting.**

**You might also think Harry is wimpier than canon. Keep in mind that over the past couple of days, he has dealt with a variety of monsters, ranging from a Jenova creature to the Snow-Woman. And, as mentioned before, he is a ten year old kid, and one who has been, at best, neglected, and far too often psychologically abused. He does have the Gryffindor tendencies of bravery, but this isn't quite the Harry who will fight a troll to save Hermione, not yet. He's still trying to heal from the psychological damage the Dursleys inflicted on him, damage which came to the fore when he found out he had Jenova cells in him.**

**That being said, he will become stronger than the canon Harry. Fighting Sephiroth alongside Cloud and the others will do that.**

**1\. Harry isn't suicidal, but he's somewhat careless with his life, even in canon. Yes, he's a kid, but I also think it's less to do with him being an impulsive kid and in Gryffindor (though that is a major factor), and a bit more to do with his mistreatment at the hands of the Dursleys. He isn't suicidal (though I can see him becoming that in the wrong circumstances), but under the worst of stress, he may see death as a release due to the psychological damage he has. I've read one rather depressing fanfic whose title or author I don't wish to recall where he attempts suicide many times…and eventually succeeds. And it was well-written, but still…you want him to survive and snap out of it. Another, somewhat more happier (in terms out outcome) fanfic has Snape, of all people, managing to snap Harry out of a suicidal funk. Harry is impulsive and careless here, and afraid of people because he knows of his infection with Jenova cells. He is not suicidal, but he is pretty much resigned to dying if he ends up dying.**

**2\. Why the hell did the party not have warm clothing? I would assume that they bought some at Icicle Inn at the very least. This is one part of the story of the game that doesn't make sense to me.**

**3\. Jenova's usage of the word is not just a reflection of her haughty nature. Yazoo uses the word 'peon' to describe Reno and Rude in ****_Advent Children_****, so it's a reference to Yazoo, himself created by Jenova cells, albeit through Sephiroth's will. Actually, Jenova's 'human' form would resemble Yazoo, given how feminine he is, even compared to Sephiroth.**

**4\. I'm copying the King's Cross Station limbo from ****_The Deathly Hallows_****, but I needed some justification for it. Harry doesn't remember being there, but the memory of being brought there was an infant (probably by a doting James, who wanted to show baby Harry to some friends before going into hiding at Godric's Hollow) was probably there, and Jenova, being as good as she is at memory manipulation, helps bring it to the fore.**

**5\. It's possible that the Materia in the game existed in some form or another when Jenova first arrived. I therefore included this bit, as I am sure the Ancients used every bit of high-level magic they could to attack Jenova once they realised what a threat she was. It's ironic that both Ultima and the Killing Curse are a bright green. Maybe I should work that in later.**

**6\. I'm pretty sure this is stated by ****_Crisis Core_****. Cissnei, a young female Turk, was also a character in ****_Before Crisis_****.**

**7\. AVALANCHE may be an eco-terrorist organisation in the original game, but in ****_Before Crisis_****, an incarnation before Barrett took over was even more ruthless and bloodthirsty, partly due to the influence of Fuhito, a misanthropic scientist whose nastiness is on a par with Hojo, and who exploits others to destroy humanity and stop them harming the planet. Reading between the lines, and using what that tells us about the main game, one sees a rather more sinister reason behind Jessie underestimating the bombs' power in the main game: she didn't realise they were intended for destroying larger areas than a single Mako reactor, and is presumably working from the blueprints the original, more murderous AVALANCHE left behind. Barrett probably dismissed the casualty reports as Shinra propaganda, or else thought that they were all Shinra and deserved their fate. While the latter isn't exactly out of character for Barrett, I'm going to go with the former. Barrett is not completely heartless.**

**8\. It was hard to think of a good Limit Break name for this attack. It's basically a weaponised version of Lily's blood wards, killing the Snow-Woman (called Snow in the game, and basically a ****_yuki-onna_**** out of Japanese myth) in the same way that Harry kills Quirrel in ****_The Philosopher's Stone_****. I decided Mother's Fire was the least cheesy and most descriptive. The power of Lily's love not only killed Snow, but freed and healed Aerith. It's basically a Holy attack that harms the enemy, and heals some HP and the status effects of allies. Probably overpowered, but what the hell. Don't mess with a mother and the love for her child, for she will end you, even if she has to die to do it.**

**Harry's Limit Breaks will be, like Aerith's, based partly around healing and protection. But most of his Limit Breaks will also have an offensive component, either in part or in full.**

**CHAPTER 7 SOUNDTRACK:**

**The Great Glacier****: ****_Buried in Snow_**** (FTG). What else am I going to use but the theme from the actual game?**

**Harry's Plunge****: ****_Aerith's Theme_**** (FTG). Once more, a sad theme for a sad moment, when Harry nearly drowns in a freezing lake.**

**Jenova: TRUE****: See chapter 3.**

**Fighting the Snow-Woman:****_Those Who Fight Further_**** (FTG). I love the boss battle theme. Really gets the blood racing. It's one of the better generic boss battle themes of the entire ****_Final Fantasy_**** series.**

**The Melancholy of Harry Potter****: ****_Celes' Theme_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VI_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. AKA Harry Potter's theme. Yes, I know that the whole 'Flight of Hedwig' has pretty much become his theme by default, and it's a good theme. But I have less experience with the soundtrack of the ****_Harry Potter_**** films (I've only watched the first two films in their entirety, though I have watched parts of most of the others, though I have read all seven books). I thought this theme, both melancholy and optimistic, would be best for Harry.**


	10. Chapter 8: Fragmentation

**CHAPTER 8:**

**FRAGMENTATION**

Old Man Holzoff wasn't that bad a sort, Tifa reflected. A bit too fond of his stories, and she had to wonder at his motives at staying here for two decades and not letting his family back at Icicle Inn know that he was still alive. But he seemed genuinely welcoming, and was giving them plenty of warnings and supplies for the climb up Gaea's Cliffs. And when he heard about the others still left out there, he immediately decided to go out and help them. He accepted Cait Sith's help readily, though Vincent was another matter, as Vincent didn't seem dressed for the weather. So now, there were just the six of them in Holzoff's cabin.

Yuffie and Nanaki were currently warming themselves in front of the fire (Yuffie being one of the chief complainers about the cold weather), while Cid and Barrett were discussing what to do next in the corner. Tifa wanted to be by herself for the moment, at least until the person she wanted to talk to came back.

Cloud walked back in, and sat down next to Tifa. "I've studied that guide. It's going to be a long and tough climb. Even Holzoff hasn't made it all the way to the top."

She nodded. Nothing was ever easy where this was involved.

For a moment, silence fell. Then, Cloud said, tentatively, as if afraid of the answer, "Am I…still Cloud to you?"

Tifa turned to face him. "I…what kind of question is that?"

"Tifa, you knew about me, about my memory. And yet, you didn't say anything. Not until Aerith brought it up. Why?" Hurt and betrayal were evident in his eyes. But he needed to know. And so, she would tell him.

"…Because I was afraid of losing you. Remember, Cloud, you said you hadn't seen me for five years. Not counting that brief moment I saw you in the reactor, which I couldn't be sure about, I hadn't seen you for seven, ever since that night at the water tower. What would have happened then, if I had spoken out?"

Cloud looked at her for a long time, before turning away. "You've got a point. You believe Aerith, then?"

"I was there at Nibelheim."

"Not about that!" Cloud snapped. "About me…being there? As just a lowly Shinra trooper?"

Tifa nodded gently. "It makes sense, and…I don't think she has any reason to lie. I just wish…you revealed yourself to me sooner."

"But I couldn't keep my promise! I never made it into SOLDIER, if what Aerith is saying is true. And more and more memories keep surfacing, memories that confirm it," Cloud said, his face twisted in anguish. "I remember…I remember managing to snap out of my Mako coma long enough to see Zack die. He'd been shot by Shinra troopers, you see. They left me to die because they thought the Mako poisoning was terminal. The buster sword, the one I left in the _Tiny Bronco_…that was his. He told me… '_For the both of us, you're gonna live. You'll be my living legacy. My honour, my dreams, they're yours now_(1)'." Cloud shook his head, putting it in his hands. "It's only because of him that Aerith likes me."

"That's not true," Tifa retorted. "Aerith…sees more than Zack in you. I'm sure she saw some of the real you."

"Remember when she took me on that date at Golden Saucer? When we caught Cait Sith?" Upon Tifa's nod, he said, "She said on the gondola…that she wanted to meet me. I think she meant the real me, the one without Zack. But…the real me…is weak. I couldn't get into SOLDIER."

Eventually, Tifa asked, "Why did you want to get into SOLDIER?"

Cloud seemed startled by the question, and seemed to think carefully about something. Eventually, he said, "Do you remember when your mother died?"

Tifa nodded. "Yes, I…it was one of the worst times of my life. I'd thought for a time she'd gone beyond Mount Nibel. But…I got over it. Why?"

"You didn't get over it," Cloud said, with all the air of someone going to a confessional. "You didn't notice anyone. You didn't notice me. You decided to climb Mount Nibel, thinking your mother had gone over to the other side. I was the only one brave…or stupid enough to join you. A bridge collapsed, just like five years ago, but you were badly injured. The other kids fetched the townsfolk, but your father was livid. I got skinned knees, but you had hit your head. Your father blamed me for egging you on up there, even though I had little to do with it, and forbade me from seeing you ever again, outside of school. Nibelheim became divided over whether I just followed you and tried to help, or whether I was reckless. Most of the kids sided with your father, and that pissed me off."

"That's why you got in all those fights. Oh, Cloud…"

"Your father did mellow a bit, but even so, he didn't like me being around you. I understand why, but still…you were pretty much the only person in Nibelheim who even wanted to talk to me at times. You were in a coma for quite a while, and they said you were pretty much going to die. I made the decision to join SOLDIER and become famous so you'd notice me." A weak grin flitted across Cloud's features. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"You were a kid," Tifa said, smiling back. "And you've been there for us. That's enough. We just need to find a way of stopping Sephiroth. Hopefully, Holzoff will find Aerith and Harry, not to mention Elena."

"Do we need one of the Turks with us?" Cloud asked, his expression darkening.

"At the moment, her mission and ours coincide: stopping Sephiroth. I don't think she'll be able to get back to Icicle Inn easily, so she might as well come with us. Hey, we have Cait Sith with us, and he's been…reliable enough, that thing with the Keystone aside. Anyway, I thought you'd be glad to have Aerith and Harry back safe and sound." And then, Tifa remembered Cloud's actions back at Icicle Inn.

Seeing her look, Cloud said, quietly, "A small part of me wishes that he did die in the snow." Holding up a hand, he says, "I know that's horrible. I don't want the kid to die, especially if what Aerith said is true, and he's been through a lot already. But…how long before he falls under the influence of Sephiroth? How long before he's like me, a danger to us all?"

"But we don't wish you dead."

"I know…maybe Sephiroth IS influencing me. He'd love us to turn on each other. Or maybe there's something else going on here. Aerith said that Harry has a fragment of this…Voldemort's soul in him. Maybe it's trying to influence others like Sephiroth is, and I'm just particularly susceptible because of the Jenova cells. I only hope I'm being paranoid. I don't want to hurt him."

Before he could speculate any further, they heard the main door open, and a jumble of voices. Holzoff and his small expedition came in, followed closely by Aerith, Harry, and Elena. "Oh, thank God!" Elena yelped, her teeth chattering. "Need warmth. Need warmth." While Holzoff went to fetch something, she went over to where Yuffie and Nanaki were sitting by the fire.

It nearly proved to be an unwise decision, for Yuffie got a rather cheeky grin on her face before trying to pilfer Elena's Materia. Elena, however, saw Yuffie, and with blinding speed, had the teenager's hand gripped in her own. "Shinra property. Hands. _Off_," she hissed, before releasing Yuffie, who was surprised at the Turk's reflexes.

Then, Yuffie smirked as Elena looked away. Cloud knew that smirk. She wouldn't try again now, but later…well, that smirk said _Challenge accepted_.

He noticed Harry wouldn't meet his eyes. That Harry seemed afraid of him. _Shit_, Cloud thought to himself. _That's what I get for losing control_. Aerith's gaze was steady and forgiving, but there was a slight distance now that hadn't been there before.

Elena, meanwhile, was fiddling with her PHS. "Honey, radio and mobile phones don't work so good out here," Holzoff said.

"First of all, don't call me honey," Elena snapped. "Secondly, Turks PHS systems are second in quality only to Shinra executives' PHS. I could get reception in a submarine!(2)"

"Hey, why not ask me?" Cait Sith asked.

Elena gave the cat riding the moogle a severe look. "Because I don't know who you really are, and I'd sooner contact Reno or Rude than you."

Cait Sith looked crestfallen. "Look, I'll get them on the phone now. My communications system is better than any PHS system, because I have to be controlled anywhere in the world."

Elena huffed, and continued her work, until suddenly, and eerily, Reno's voice emanated from Cait Sith. "Yo, Elena? Are you there?"

"Reno? Is that you?"

"Of course it is. Who d'ya think it is, Hojo? What's your status?"

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted, as long as it's professional."

"Up shit creek, without a paddle."

There was a brief pause, before Reno said, "Yep, that's standard professional terminology. Some details'd be nice, though."

"There were…complications when I tried to apprehend AVALANCHE at Icicle Inn…"

"I know that much. Cait Sith already told me. But he hasn't told me what happened after that. You are all right, eh?"

"Just…lost some dignity, and the feeling in my fingers. I'm currently at the base of Gaea Cliffs in the company of AVALANCHE. What are my orders?"

After a bit, Reno drawled, "Well, apprehending AVALANCHE by yourself is obviously out."

"Damn right, you are!" Barrett bellowed.

"Hey, big guy, remember who has your daughter under a careful watch," Reno said cheerfully. "Anyway, Elena, we can't get a helicopter out to you in that weather. So we're changing your orders. It's back to chasin' Sephiroth for you. Help AVALANCHE take him out if there's a confrontation, and make sure he can't use the Black Materia."

"…Acknowledged. Has your mission been successful?"

"Hell yeah! We found that hunchbacked prick a few hours back. Rude's taken Hojo to the Prez, and last I heard, they're on the _Highwind_. I'm stuck back at HQ, doin' the paperwork(3). Man, I hate paperwork. Anyway, hopefully, once you're done, you can meet up with Rufus and get an extraction on the best damn airship ever."

"Of course it's the best damn airship!" Cid snapped. "I was the one who designed the damn thing in the first place! A real beauty she is!"

"Wow, Cid, you wanna get a room or somethin'?" Reno drawled with a chuckle.

"I dunno, Reno. Do you have one where you play 'hide the electro-rod' with Rude or something(4)?" Cid retorted. Aerith, Tifa, and Elena gasped, mortified, and Aerith wished she could have clapped her hands over Harry's ears. Harry, of course, didn't understand, and stared blankly at Cait Sith. Yuffie stifled a giggle, and Vincent actually had a rare smile on his face. Cloud and Barrett looked torn between disgust and amusement. Nanaki was hiding his face in his paws, so nobody could tell what he was thinking.

Reno, however, merely laughed uproariously. "Classy, Cid. You always were. And you forgot that there was a kid present. Try to rein in your foul mouth, yeah?" As Cid spluttered, trying to point out that both Elena and Reno had sworn earlier, Reno said, "You have your orders, Elena. Stopping AVALANCHE is on the back-burner. Try not to let them gang up on you. Have fun!" And with that sardonically cheerful farewell, the connection cut out.

There was a moment of silence, before Elena said, quietly, "I'm doomed, aren't I?"

Barrett glared at her, before saying, "I don't like it any more than you do. But if you're gonna help stop Sephiroth, then maybe I'll put up with you. 'Course, if it were Reno, it'd be a different matter. I'd mess him up good. 'Sides, if we let Sephiroth use the Black Materia, we're _all _doomed."

"He's right," Cait Sith said, back to his usual voice (thankfully, as it was eerie having Reno's nasal tone come from the cat). "So, let's get this show on the road, yeah?"

They all nodded, and began making their preparations. Allies of convenience, united by a common foe, and a common fate if they lost…

* * *

In his office in Hogwarts, Dumbledore contemplated the letter he was about to write. There was so much he wanted to say, and so much he couldn't afford to. What could he say, to apologise to the boy?

The blood wards had collapsed, Dumbledore knew, because Harry had rejected the Dursleys completely as a family, and their house as his home. And if he couldn't re-establish them, then perhaps he would have to find an alternative. But what?

The monitors around Harry's health had shrieked a couple of times, indicating he was in mortal peril, but had settled down. Now, he seemed healthy. But what could the poor boy be going through? Was his situation any better than it was at the Dursleys?

Fawkes, his phoenix, trilled his soothing song. Dumbledore allowed himself to be calmed by the song, before he began to put his thoughts into order. Harry needed to be told of his destiny, of the chains of fate that fettered him to Voldemort, who even now, Dumbledore was certain was still alive. And it was Dumbledore's responsibility to explain what he could…

**CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS**

**So, the party gains another new member. And Cloud struggles to stop himself from darkening his soul any further.**

**1\. Taken from Zack's actual last words in ****_Crisis Core_****, leaving out the pauses. He doesn't get to say any last words to Cloud in the main game.**

**2\. Another line I cribbed from ****_The Last Days of FoxHOUND_****.**

**3\. Rude is seen on the Highwind, guarding Hojo, so where was Reno? I decided that, after finding Hojo, Rude was assigned to keep an eye on Hojo while the Shinra suits headed to the Crater, and Reno was stuck doing paperwork. Given his slobby dressing habits, he probably hates paperwork more than just about every other member of the Turks.**

**4\. Probably my most risqué joke. I actually looked at this site's filtering of ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** fanfics (not counting crossovers) after writing this joke, and there's a grand total of two stories with a Reno and Rude pairing tagged. I'm not into slash, but I'm a little surprised that there aren't more, though there may be. Just not tagged. Cid's so foulmouthed, he'd say something like this, and he knows enough about Shinra to probably know a little about Reno and Rude. Reno is kinda laid-back, and such an insult would probably bounce right off.**

**CHAPTER 8 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Holzoff's Home:****_Ahead On Our Way_**** (FTG). I think this is used in the game. It's a nice, warm theme.**

**Cloud and Tifa Talk****: ****_Anxious Heart_**** (FTG).**

**Elena Reports In****: ****_Underneath the Rotting Pizza_**** (FTG). I think this has just the right amount of grunge and darkness for this bit. Not much, but just enough, and I feel that it's not dissimilar to the Turks' theme.**


	11. Chapter 9: Jenova: DEATH and REBIRTH

**CHAPTER 9:**

**JENOVA: DEATH AND REBIRTH**

Rufus Shinra watched the spray of green glowing liquid as it surged and roiled around the central peak of the crater. It was beautiful, and to a man who usually appraised beauty with a cold and keen eye, it was beautiful enough that he was actually overwhelmed with awe. But all too soon, the avarice that suffused his soul came crashing in.

"I've found you," he murmured gently, referring to the crater.

The moment was spoiler by that stupid bitch Scarlet's braying laugh. If Heidegger was like a horse, then Scarlet was like a castrated donkey. He knew all too well that she paid for the top cosmetic surgeons to keep her face like that. The woman held onto her looks like a limpet on a rock. "This is incredible," she purred, after she finished laughing, her eyes glittering.

For a moment, Rufus considered luring the woman to the observation deck on a pretence, and then shoving her over the edge. He dismissed it almost as swiftly. For all Scarlet's faults, she was at least competent, more so than Heidegger, and she didn't make as much a pretence of sucking up. Besides, Rufus rarely did that sort of thing himself, not when there were plenty of others who could do it for him.

The technological marvels of the _Highwind_ surrounded Rufus, and crew members busied themselves at the various control panels. He remembered his argument with Cid at Rocket Town. Cid had designed and built the _Highwind_, partly as a favour to Shinra, though he was allowed to pilot it himself. It was because of his decision to abort the rocket launch that Cid had the _Highwind_ taken away from him. Rufus wondered whether Cid knew that it was Rufus who had cancelled the space program(1)?

That fat bastard Heidegger strutted up. Thankfully, the idiot wasn't laughing. Instead, he exclaimed, "This has to be the Promised Land your father was searching for!"

"But I got here first. Sorry, old man, but no prizes for second place," Rufus sneered quietly.

A soft chuckle emanated from behind them. Rufus knew who was the offending party. "Do you have something to contribute, Hojo? Something meaningful? You are meant to be a scientist, and one of my advisors."

"Advice is freely given, but not always taken," came the distinctive whine of Hojo's voice. "Such is the prerogative of kings." The insolent, hunched-over scientist shuffled forward, Rude following him closely. "And you are a king of the modern age, Rufus."

"Then advise me, don't patronise me," Rufus snapped.

"Very well. That," he said, indicating the view of the crater in front of them, "is NOT the Promised Land. The Promised Land is a legend, an old wives' tale that your father and his lackeys have latched onto. Any decently fertile land, abundant with Mako, could be used to create Neo-Midgar. No…this is where the Reunion begins."

Rufus sneered. "Are you still talking about the Jenova Reunion Theory? The theory you wasted millions of my father's money on to prove? You call it a theory, but I believe it is little more than an unsubstantiated hypothesis. And if there is no Promised Land, what is that?" He indicated the crater and its Mako fountaining around it.

"An old wound. Where the Planet is struggling to heal itself. It may never do so. But it is using Lifestream to try and heal itself, hence the Mako sprays. Rich in Mako and Materia, but no Promised Land. It's a trifle cold place to build a city, in any case, and the heating bills might be too much for any resident."

Before Rufus could retort, a technician manning surveillance equipment shouted, "President Rufus, sir! We've found a number of people approaching the crater. Most of them seem to be wearing black cloaks…"

"You see?!" Hojo yelped triumphantly. "Those are the Sephiroth Copies(2) I made! They're gathering for the Reunion!"

"Shut up," Rufus snapped, before turning back to the technician. "You said most of them. What of the others?"

"A party of eleven people have begun the trek down into the Crater caldera. Eight are the members of AVALANCHE. Two are Shinra operatives Elena of the Turks and Cait Sith. The eleventh is a boy with dark hair."

"That's probably the Potter brat Cait Sith mentioned," Heidegger said with a frown. "One who may be another Ancient."

Rufus nodded. He had read the reports during the journey from Midgar to this area, and he found himself curious. Aerith, after the death of her mother Ifalna, was considered to be the last Ancient. And yet, the boy was here. Aerith had apparently given some story about a goddess telling her that he came from another world the Cetra left for, but Rufus found that preposterous. The boy had probably been in hiding, perhaps at that Forgotten City.

Once they had dealt with Sephiroth, Aerith and the Potter boy would be recaptured. Rufus, however, had no desire to put them under Hojo's aegis again. He needed to find a better scientific mind than that. I mean, trying to get Aerith and that Red XIII creature to breed. That was ludicrous. He needed a decent scientist. Hollander was dead, Gast was dead, Lucrezia Crescent was missing…perhaps Professor Rayleigh(3)? In any case, the Cetra heritage needed to be studied.

And what of the other members of that motley group, excluding, obviously, Cait Sith and Elena? The three core members of AVALANCHE could be tried and executed, the ones who had actually orchestrated the bombings. The Wutai ninja, Yuffie, could be held hostage to extract even more concessions from Lord Godo. However, what of the remaining three? Vincent could potentially be useful intelligence on the earlier days of the Jenova Project, as Hojo seemed reluctant to divulge secrets. Cid was still useful enough as a pilot, if his less salutary habits could be reined in. And Red XIII could also be used as leverage against Bugenhagen, if necessary. The old man had a lot of knowledge. Yes, perhaps it might be more interesting to consult him about the Ancients, if the old fool could get over his scruples.

Rufus looked down at the image of AVALANCHE and its associates. Yes…soon, he would be unopposed, as long as this motley crew stopped Sephiroth…

* * *

Harry looked up in awe at the large flying machine passing overhead. He couldn't exactly call it an aeroplane, or a helicopter. It seemed to be a hybrid of both, long and elegant with spinning rotors and a gondola-like control area.

"That's the _Highwind_, kid," Cid said, with a both proud and melancholy air to his voice. "An airship. I designed her, even had a hand in building her."

"How does it stay up? It doesn't look like anything I ever saw back…in my world." He very nearly said 'home', until he realised, it didn't feel like it any more. As much as he missed a relatively boring life, the Dursleys' house was never his home, and that world had never welcomed him. Here…he felt at home.

"Well, the exact process is a trade secret, but it involves specialised Materia(4). That, along with specialised VTOL engines help it." Cid's face darkened. "And Shinra took it from me, after I aborted the rocket launch. Damn Shera…"

Harry had learned something of Cid's past by now during the journey. Aerith had also told him about Cid's bullying attitude towards Shera while they were traversing the Great Glacier. Harry gave Cid a dirty look. "She wants to help you. And you treat her like dirt. What are you going to do, lock her in a cupboard?"

"You little…" Cid snarled, before he realised what Harry was saying. Aerith had told them about what Harry's life had been like. He could probably see a little of himself in Shera. Eventually, his face softened. "I had to choose between my dreams and her life," he said quietly. "Even now, I don't know whether I made the right choice."

"To save a life, Cid?" Aerith asked, walking over. "It was the right choice. And what IF the oxygen tank exploded?"

"Feh. It'd be worth it, if only I reached space," Cid muttered. But there was something there, some doubt.

"It was Shinra who stopped the program," Aerith pointed out. "The rocket's still ready to go, isn't it?"

"Pretty much. Needs the fuel replenished and a bit of a clean, but…oh, never mind." Cid stomped off, filled with conflicting emotions.

Harry himself was filled with conflicting emotions. Cid was a nice guy to him, if somewhat foul-mouthed, but how could he treat Shera so badly? Still, despite his implication, Cid was better than the Dursleys. His friendly nature was genuine, and his coarseness made it all the more so, as Harry had observed that whenever Petunia and Vernon tried to be friendly to others, it was so polished and glossy, it wasn't funny. Harry wondered if the other residents of Privet Drive saw through it. The only one he even knew much was that old cat lady, Mrs Figg. The Dursleys sometimes fobbed Harry onto her when they needed a babysitter, and she, well, was fine, but there were too many cats.

In retrospect, Harry realised that there was a scrutiny in Mrs Figg that was strange. Like she knew of him, and not just knew him. And there were some incidents here and there that made him wonder who she really was. Maybe she knew who he was. Had Dumbledore a spy in Privet Drive the entire time? If so, either she failed in her duty, or else he disregarded what she said. Either way, Harry wasn't feeling too well-inclined towards Dumbledore at the moment.

Tifa and Elena were gazing around the Crater. The climb up the sides had been long and hard, but now they were here… "This must be where Jenova landed all those years ago," Tifa murmured.

"It is," Aerith said, pointing at the central peak, with the Mako surging around it. "Even now, the Planet struggles to heal the wound." Had she known she would unwittingly echo Hojo, Aerith would have been mortified.

In the distance, they saw fallen figures clad in black cloaks. When Yuffie checked one, her eyes widened, and her mouth stretched into a rather evil grin. "Oh WOW! I've heard of this!" She put a red Materia on her shuriken.

"What was that?" Elena asked, hurrying over to the teenaged _kunoichi_.

"Neo-Bahamut Summon Materia," Yuffie said with a smile. "I heard Shinra had this in their arsenal. I guess this guy stole it. Finders, keepers."

"That's the property of Shinra, you little brat!" Elena snapped.

"I'm sixteen!" Yuffie retorted. "And I am the designated Materia Acquisition Officer of Wutai."

"Designated by yourself, you mean," Tifa said with a smile. "Just don't forget to use it when we need it." She indicated, in the distance, the small line of black-cloaked figures. "The Sephiroth Fan Club(5) is on their way to their idol, and we don't want to miss his big appearance."

"Doesn't he scare you?" Elena said, as she followed.

Tifa went quiet, even though they kept walking along the rocky ground of the Crater. Eventually, she said, "He _terrifies_ me. Every step closer to him is an effort. Five years ago, he nearly killed me. He murdered my father, my friends, and burned my village to the ground. He's trying to make my oldest friend a puppet. But…" Tifa clenched a fist. "…I will go on. One, if we don't stop him, he will use the Black Materia to call Meteor. Two, he's well overdue some payback for what he did to me and Cloud."

"…I understand." Elena straightened slightly. "Well, if he did mess up Tseng at the Temple, then I want a piece of him too."

"And it was thanks to Sephiroth that Wutai lost," Yuffie said, a little quieter than usual. Tifa knew that this wasn't quite true. Sephiroth, from what she had heard, was one of the factors Shinra had in its favour against Wutai, but he was not the only one.

"Some of us here have been affected by Sephiroth even before he returned," Tifa said. "Cloud and I lost our hometown thanks to him. Yuffie blames him for Wutai's defeat. Vincent saw the love of his life give birth to Sephiroth, and suffer the consequences. Aerith's boyfriend was nearly murdered by Sephiroth, before being killed by Shinra. We're bound to him by threads of fate. I guess that's what Aerith would say."

* * *

They made their way through the rocky outcrops, past walls of howling winds, before coming upon a strange scene. Sephiroth, surrounded by the bodies of many black-cloaked people, and staring down the last two, his sword in hand. "This is the end for you," he said quietly. Then, he struck them down, blood spraying as his Masamune flashed.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled, reaching for his sword as they ran up.

"This ends here!" Tifa shouted.

"No," Sephiroth said, his quiet, calm voice reaching them even over the sound of the howling wind. "Not yet. But this body _is_ nearing the end of its usefulness."

"This body?!" Barrett demanded, confused, even as he kept his gun-arm trained on Sephiroth.

"Indeed. This isn't my original body. Rather, it is that of what Hojo calls a Sephiroth Copy, or Clone. Not an actual clone, but someone who has been infused with both Mako and Jenova cells. I was able to transform this one into something like my own body. You should know what it's like, Cloud. You've been through that very process. I know you know the truth, thanks to the Jenova cells in your body. I was planning on breaking you with the truth about Zack, but now that you know…I'm afraid I'll have to find another way for you to amuse me."

"That's enough!" Cloud yelled, before leaping at Sephiroth. His impulsiveness cost him, though, as he was sent flying by a blast of energy, slamming into Tifa. They found themselves sliding over the edge of the rocky path they were on, and dangling over a Mako-filled abyss, hanging on for dear life.

Sephiroth, meanwhile, raised his hands in a gesture that seemed like a perversion of a benediction. Dark clouds seemed to erupt from the black-cloaked figures. "Don't die yet," he sneered. "I want you all to see my triumph. But all the players need to be present."

Suddenly, the dark clouds coalesced right in front of Sephiroth, and something suddenly formed. Something very large, and very ugly.

Harry's eyes widened in recognition, a recognition shared by everyone else present, save perhaps for Elena. It was another Jenova monster! Barrett and Aerith were trying to help Cloud and Tifa up, so it was up to them.

Cid took charge. "Elena, Vincent, Cait Sith, Nanaki, we hit it with everything we have. Yuffie, Harry, hold back and pummel it with Summons."

"You betcha!" Yuffie said with a smile.

The battle that followed was fierce and intense. To her credit, Elena fought very well alongside AVALANCHE, and once Cloud and Tifa were helped up by Barrett and Aerith, they too joined the fray.

Harry managed to summon Alexander first. A gigantic machine, with the appearance of a vast living citadel, emerged. "_What is thy bidding?_" it asked in a deep, but gentle voice(6).

"Please, stop that thing," Harry said, indicating the Jenova creature.

"_It shall know my Judgement_," Alexander intoned, before it gazed at it. The Jenova creature was hit by a beam of energy, that caused an explosion that caused the creature to scream. It lashed out, sending the others flying. Only Yuffie, Harry, and Aerith, who had been standing away while using her magic, were left standing.

As the creature approached, Yuffie finally managed to summon Neo-Bahamut. The multi-winged dragon was impressive, and Harry smiled. He had seen a dragon, and what was more, it was on their side. "_Who shall I smite?_" it bellowed.

"That one there!" Yuffie said, pointing. "The fugly one."

Neo-Bahamut turned, and said nothing more. Instead, light gathered at its mouth, before lancing down at the Jenova creature. It screamed as it began to disintegrate under the force of the Giga-Flare attack.

The scream seemed to tear at Harry, plucking at his mind. And then, he heard a dark chuckle. _Now's my chance_, came the sound of a familiar voice.

As the light from Neo-Bahamut's attack faded away, the others picked themselves off the ground, or just stared at the molten remains of the Jenova creature. But they soon found something more to stare at, when Harry fell to his knees and screamed in pain, clutching at his head. Green purulent liquid gushed from the scar on his forehead, and rushed over to the remains of the Jenova creature.

A sickly green light seemed to emanate from the mass, before finally, it strobed, forcing everyone to look away, save for Harry, who was still kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain. They blinked away the afterimages seared on their retinas, only to find something new standing there.

It was like a woman, blue-skinned and silvery-haired. Completely naked, tall and elegant, with a thin, beautiful, but cruel face.

It was Cloud who recognised her first, his face twisting into a mask of fury and hatred. "Jenova," he hissed.

"In the flesh, as it were, _puppet_," Jenova said, her orange eyes glinting cruelly. "I am reborn. And I will not tolerate any obstacles in my path. You will die, puppet…"

**CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Holy shit, Jenova, or at least the independent Jenova inside Harry, has just regained a body. And Cloud, understandably, isn't too pleased to see her. He recognises her from what she looked like in the tank at Nibelheim, although she lacks the eyeball on her breast and the other accoutrements of that form.**

**1\. This is apparently mentioned in ****_Before Crisis_****.**

**2\. The term 'clone' is used rather willy-nilly throughout the game. They're just normal people who had Jenova cells and Mako infusion. I've decided to use the two interchangeably, but emphasise copy (as in copying some of the process to make Sephiroth, rather than copying Sephiroth himself).**

**3\. A minor character in ****_Before Crisis_****.**

**4\. I'm not convinced it's just standard engineering keeping the ****_Highwind_**** aloft. I suspect that Materia is involved somewhere. There is precedent: in the original ****_Final Fantasy_****, you have to find a key component for an airship that is a sort of floating rock, and in ****_Final Fantasy XII_****, Magicite is a key component of airships of all kinds. I presume the Materia gives the ****_Highwind_**** a sort of 'neutral buoyancy' against gravity, and the rotors on top can be used to raise or lower it. I'm speculating, of course, and frankly, it doesn't matter.**

**5\. I made up this joke when captioning a screenshot of this sequence on my Steam account. I thought it too good not to include here.**

**6\. When I wrote Alexander's dialogue, I actually had a flash of inspiration: imagine him voiced by Peter Cullen.**

**CHAPTER 9 SOUNDTRACK:**

**A Wound in the Planet****: ****_The Great Northern Crater_**** (FTG). What else?**

**Sephiroth Gloats****: ****_Those Chosen By The Planet_**** (FTG).**

**The Final Jenova Beast (or is it?)****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_**** (FTG).**

**Jenova, Reborn****: ****_Premonition_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VIII_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Given how I chose ****_Succession of Witches_**** as Jenova's theme in her 'human' form, why not use the boss theme for Edea and other witches, who use the prior theme in-game.**


	12. Chapter 10: Calamity Upon Calamity

**CHAPTER 10:**

**CALAMITY UPON CALAMITY**

Sephiroth watched this unfold from his true body, watching through Cloud's eyes. Until he learned that that accursed Ancient Aerith had managed to divulge the truth to Cloud, Sephiroth had been planning on breaking Cloud down through doubt of his own identity. He had even planned to allow AVALANCHE to get a hold of the Black Materia, just so Cloud could give it to him in the depths of existential despair. He deserved nothing less for defeating Sephiroth so badly. Cloud, little more than a scared teenager, had managed to defeat Sephiroth. Had it been at the hands of a fellow SOLDIER, Sephiroth's wrath would be no less kindled, but even so, to be defeated by one beneath his notice…that deserved the worst of punishments.

But Cloud now knew the truth, and Sephiroth decided to hasten his plans, having one of his clones take the Black Materia to him. He would delay using it until those idiots at Shinra and AVALANCHE arrived. Unless, of course, prudency dictated he use it sooner.

This was unwelcome, though. He had thought that the Jenova consciousness he had divested himself of had perished with the Jenova creature at the City of the Ancients, and all it achieved was infecting the Harry Potter boy with Jenova cells. He still encouraged the discord in Cloud, making him paranoid and suspicious. But he should have realised, or at least suspected, that the dissident Jenova consciousness still lived.

Still, it was still weak. This was not his true mother. His true mother had bent to his will. Like any good mother, she gave everything she could to her son. Cloud could kill it. He wanted to kill it. All he needed was a good push, and then, like a good puppet, he would do what was required. Perhaps he could even take out a few members of AVALANCHE while in the depths of a berserk fury. Yes, that would break him.

Reaching out, Sephiroth tinkered with Cloud's mind, and then metaphorically sat back, to enjoy the show that was sure to follow…

* * *

It happened so fast. Harry watched on as Cloud's face darkened, and he leapt for Jenova. The blue-skinned woman merely danced out of the way. "I'll strangle you with your own strings until your eyes bulge out, puppet!(1)" Jenova proclaimed.

Cloud merely slashed at her with a bestial snarl.

"Something's wrong," Aerith muttered. "I don't think I've seen Cloud fight like this." She looked down at Harry, only then realising his disturbed expression. "Harry, what's the matter?"

"She…she was in my head. I saw her in there. That's Jenova!"

Aerith found this bit of news, understandably, highly disturbing. That this creature had not just been infecting Harry's body, but his mind too. He was probably very lucky that the Jenova creature hadn't influenced his decisions, or at least nothing too noticeable. She didn't know whether what happened on the Glacier was just him being a frightened child, or else Jenova influencing him. But the fact that he could talk about it now…

Aerith brought her attention back to the fight. Cloud fought against Jenova with reckless abandon. The blue-skinned woman was the very embodiment of the Calamity from the Skies. And she fought with a strange grace. _She's playing with him_, Aerith realised.

Jenova leapt out of the way of another blow, landing in front of Aerith and Harry. Her eyes widened, though, when a Firaga spell smacked into her, sending her sprawling across Harry and Aerith, pinning them to the ground. Jenova groaned, apparently dazed from the impact, while Aerith and Harry watched in horror as Cloud stalked up, another Firaga spell being readied, clearly aimed at the three of them.

"Cloud, stop! Let us get out of the way!" Aerith yelled, but Cloud didn't listen. Instead, the Firaga spell spat at them, ready to engulf the three of them in flames. Aerith's eyes widened. Cloud didn't care what was about to happen. Something inside him had snapped. Or perhaps he was being influenced, once more, by Sephiroth. Aerith hoped it was the latter.

However, Tifa interposed herself between the blast and the three on the ground. With a scream of pain, she was knocked to the ground, smoke coming from her body. Cloud, relentlessly, formed another Firaga spell. "She must die," he snarled.

But Cid and Barrett grabbed Cloud. He struggled, but Barrett, in his blunt and direct manner, used what he believed to be the only means of getting through to Cloud: a blow to the head. "Snap out of it, Cloud, you fucking idiot!" Barrett bellowed.

Only the one blow was needed. The feral gleam left Cloud's eyes, and he saw what he had done. Tifa, moaning in pain, sprawled in front of him. And just behind her, Jenova, sprawled on top of Aerith and Harry. He had been about to kill Aerith and Harry, in his berserk rage trying to kill Jenova.

Cloud began to hyperventilate, and he looked at the faces around him, in concern, in fear, in anger, and in disappointment. Aerith and Harry's eyes were wide in fear. And he knew now that he had lost their trust. He had been so fixated on Harry being a possible enemy, he kept ignoring the fact that he had the worst enemy within him.

He couldn't call them friends or allies anymore. He had forfeited that privilege. He was, once again, alone. Hated. Uncertain.

No. There was one thing he was certain of. One thing he could do, or die trying. He was under no illusions as to whether this would get him forgiveness, or even whether he would survive. But Cloud was certain he had no choice.

With a supreme effort, he pushed Barrett and Cid away from him, before running towards the centre of the Crater, shouting the name of the man he was going to kill.

"SEPHIROOOOOOTH!"

* * *

Tifa looked up just in time to see Cloud push Barrett and Cid away, and flee, screaming Sephiroth's name, sword in hand. She ached all over from the Firaga blast he had managed to hit her with while she was trying to shield Aerith and Harry (and in a moment of supreme irony, Jenova). But she also knew that it wasn't Cloud who had attacked her, not the real one. The one who had attacked her was a puppet whose strings were being pulled by Sephiroth. The true Cloud was currently lost, hurt, and trying to find something, anything, to focus on.

Tifa knew that this would get Cloud killed.

Getting to her feet, she waved away the others. "I'm fine!"

"You're not," Vincent said, though he handed her a Hi Potion. Tifa swigged it down, and then ran after Cloud.

"Tifa, wait!" Barrett bellowed. "He's not worth it!"

She stopped, and turned on her heel. Levelling her gaze at him, she said, "If he dies fighting Sephiroth, and I didn't do a damn thing to help him, do you think I could live with myself? He IS worth it. Aerith saw it, didn't you?"

Aerith, who was only now struggling to her feet, nodded. "Just…take care," the other young woman said. "He's yours."

Tifa's eyes widened at Aerith's simple statement. For a time, it seemed like Aerith had encouraged the little love triangle that had developed. But now, it seemed, she was conceding the whole issue. Tifa smiled sadly, before saying, "He's _ours_. Like any one of us. Follow me once you're able to. There's going to be a reckoning with Sephiroth."

And with that, Tifa ran after Cloud, ignoring the shouts of Barrett and Cid. Cloud was her friend, and she was damned if she was going to let him go into the dark alone…

* * *

"Damn idiot," Barrett lamented, watching Tifa pursue Cloud further into the Crater.

"Yeah, I agree," Cid said, lighting up one of his cigarettes.

Aerith's rebuttal was refreshingly direct. She slapped first Barrett, and then Cid. The latter seemed to be more annoyed that she made him drop his cigarette than by the slap. "How dare you?"

"Kid," Cid said (despite being only a decade Aerith's senior), "Tifa is an idiot. Cloud nearly roasted your ass trying to kill Jenova. He's sick in the head. If he wants to kill himself trying to take down Sephiroth alone, let him."

Aerith glared at him. "So…what was the point of sticking with him, even after what happened at the Temple? Why didn't you abandon him at Gongaga?"

"_We_ didn't, sweetheart," Cid said. "However, I seem to remember a certain young lady leaving to do things by herself, or so she claimed."

Her eyes narrowed. "And I knew you were going to follow, or at least I'd be able to come back once I activated Holy. I wasn't leaving Cloud to die. He came anyway to try and protect me."

"This bickering is pointless!" Elena snapped. "Our mission is to stop Sephiroth. That hasn't changed. So I suggest we stow this fascinating argument on the backburner and get going."

"You listen here, Turk!" Barrett snapped. "You're not the boss here, and I…" He found himself looking down at Elena's finger, pointing directly at his face.

"Maybe not, but I seem to be the only one who knows what to do next. We stop Sephiroth. Then, you can get back to killing each other."

"I agree," came the purr of Jenova, who was standing up. With a gesture, clothes appeared on her body, a white suit not dissimilar to Rufus'. "Sephiroth should be stopped."

"Hey, what the hell are you talking about? You're an ally of Sephiroth, aren't you?" Cid demanded.

"I'm his enemy. And I believe that there is a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Jenova, that point made, strode off imperiously. Aerith watched her go, before looking at Harry. The boy looked uncertain, but seeing Aerith looking to him, nodded.

In varying degrees of reluctance and enthusiasm, the remainder of the party trooped off where Cloud and Tifa had fled…

* * *

The Shinra expedition had landed the Highwind not far from the Crater's centre, and had trekked the rest of the way there. The expedition mostly consisted of Rufus, Scarlet, Hojo, Rude(2), and a few troopers. The grotto they soon came to was lined with Materia, with a strange, coral-like growth acting as a ceiling. The walls made strange shapes, almost like those of the faces of gigantic beasts.

Scarlet was effusive, running around like a kid on their birthday. Rufus, while just as elated, was nonetheless a little more restrained. Like it or not, both Sephiroth and AVALANCHE were here, or going to be. Quietly, he murmured, "It's everything I imagined it to be. And more. Isn't it splendid?"

This question was asked of Hojo, but the hunchbacked scientist merely wrinkled his nose. "It is certainly an interesting formation of Materia and Mako in abundance. But it is no Promised Land, whatever you believe."

Rufus had had enough. Turning to the scientist, he said, coldly and calculatingly, "It's that kind of dull mind that makes you a second-rate scientist, Hojo." He was rewarded with a bloom of resentment in the older man's eyes, before suddenly, the grotto began to tremble. Then, of all things, a gigantic eye opened up, green, glowing, and belligerent.

Rufus was surprised, but Scarlet, who was right next to it, shrieked like a little girl. It was a memory Rufus would savour. "What is that?" she screamed. "It's within the wall! No, it IS the wall!"

Hojo, however, was rather more calm. Still surprised, but his eyes held no fear, just intense interest. "Well, well, well. I didn't believe it existed."

"What? What is it?" Rufus demanded.

"Weapon. The name given by the Cetra to monsters created by the Planet. Think of them as being not unlike an immune system, designed to wipe out any threat to the Planet." He then fixed Rufus with an eerie grin. "And I do mean _any_."

"And how do you know about this?"

"Professor Gast conveniently left video of his discussions with Ifalna at his residence at Icicle Inn. Other than that, the only other place it is known is right here." Hojo tapped his skull.

"…You're annoyingly obtuse, you know that?" Rufus said.

Before Hojo could reply, a trooper yelled, "Sir, target approaching! It's Sephiroth, sir!"

Rufus turned to where the trooper was indicating, to see the familiar (at least from the pictures and videos) form of the former SOLDIER approaching from a nearby tunnel. Funny, the pictures and videos never managed to show the full power and grace of the man. Rufus was now painfully aware that he had brought too few people. He was a competent fighter, as was Rude and the troopers present. But Sephiroth was another matter entirely. He had been hoping AVALANCHE might soften him up, or even defeat him. But it seemed those hopes were in vain.

However, Sephiroth didn't seem to be here to fight. Instead, he smiled at them. "Rufus Shinra…I noticed it didn't take you long to replace your father. His corpse had scarcely cooled before you arrived to take his place. I expected no less."

"I'm grateful for your approval, Sephiroth," Rufus replied acidly. "Am I to follow my father into death, then?"

"In due time. But the remainder of the audience isn't present yet," Sephiroth said with a smile.

"What's to stop us," Scarlet said, showing more bravado than sense, "from taking the Black Materia from you? You're outnumbered and outgunned."

It was an outrageous bluff, and Sephiroth knew it. He _was_ outnumbered and outgunned. But he was also powerful enough to disregard it. He merely laughed softly, before saying, "It would be a futile gesture. Ah, the next players in this farce arrive."

Rufus didn't know what he meant, until Cloud ran in, yelling "SEPHIROTH!" Tifa followed not long after.

"Ah, yes. The dogged 'hero' and his love interest," Sephiroth sneered. "Both survivors of Nibelheim. I don't like leaving things unfinished. How does it feel, Cloud, to be alienated from all your friends?"

"Are you asking because you never had any?" Cloud snarled.

Tifa was surprised at the effect this had on Sephiroth. For a moment, the man's face twisted in a fury so profound, he seemed ready to kill Cloud on the spot. "Genesis…Angeal…do those names mean anything to you(3)? I know the feeling too well, Cloud. The only difference is that you will die friendless and alone."

"No, he won't!" Tifa yelled, readying herself. It seemed only now that Cloud registered her presence.

"Tifa," Cloud said. "Go back."

"What, and let you die in some stupid blaze of glory?"

"Well, it would be stupid," Sephiroth remarked. "But I doubt it'd be glorious. I remember you, girl. Tenacious little thing, aren't you? I remember you whining about my killing your father. Even before then, I have killed many mothers and fathers." Seeing her tense, he smiled. "So you _will_ die together. How sweet and fitting. And it put a lie to my earlier assessment. But hold, I believe that the rest of the players are here."

Cloud and Tifa turned to find the others arriving. Amongst their number was none other than Jenova. Seeing this, Hojo's eyes widened. "It can't be!"

"Hello, Professor. I had such fun when you dismembered me," she said, with an acidic smile. "I will repay the favour in due course." Her attention turned to Sephiroth. "And you…usurper. Have you forgotten who your mother is?"

"I haven't. You are not her." Having made that cold pronouncement, Sephiroth spread his arms wide. "But now the audience is gathered. And it is time for this farce to end." Before anyone could react, he zoomed to the ceiling, to the coral-like growth, and to a strange, transparent orb in the centre. The orb slid out slightly, like a fruit dangling from a tree. And everyone's eyes widened.

The same thought ran through their minds. The same word whispered from their lips. The same horror chilled them all.

Within the orb was a familiar shape. Encased within blue-coloured Materia was the upper torso of Sephiroth, apparently asleep. Strands of flesh dangled down from where his body terminated.

"It must've been what was left of him when he fell into the Nibelheim reactor," Hojo murmured.

Rufus, however, was somewhat more practical. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he yelled "Open fire!"

The Shinra troopers and the two Turks present hastened to obey. Barrett didn't even hesitate to follow suit with rounds from his gun arm. As much as he hated Shinra, he also wanted to stop Sephiroth. Vincent followed suit, firing at the orb with his shot-rifle. Aerith, Harry, Nanaki and Cait Sith began firing off spells at Sephiroth, both of them.

The copy merely sneered. "Too late!" he shouted in triumph, before shoving the Black Materia into the orb, the surface giving way easily. Almost instantly, the grotto began shaking, and dark energy suffused the Materia orb encasing Sephiroth. The Sephiroth copy was laughing, even as he began to disintegrate, his purpose in life over.

Cloud, his eyes staring wildly, leapt into the air, hacking desperately at the Materia orb containing Sephiroth, shouting his nemesis' name all the while. Rufus looked at them all. "We must evacuate, now! Come on! There's much I need to hear later!"

"I'm not leaving him!" Tifa yelled. She then looked at Aerith and Barrett. "Keep them safe."

Aerith nodded, but Barrett bellowed, "Stop it, you little fool!"

"Come on!" Cid yelled, dragging Barrett away.

Aerith didn't want to leave Cloud or Tifa behind. But Cloud was blind and deaf to everything but stopping Sephiroth, even though it was now futile. And Tifa wanted to remain with Cloud, to the end. And at the moment, with Tifa telling them to keep the others safe, Aerith knew she should do that.

Besides, Cloud and Tifa had a knack for staying alive.

* * *

Soon, they were on the _Highwind_ as it flew away from the Crater at high speed. Harry watched. Had it not been a life or death situation, he would have thought it spectacular, what happened next. He watched as creatures crawled out of the grotto, destroying it in the process. Gigantic creatures, which Hojo, who was nearby, called 'Weapons'. A flare of light shook the _Highwind_, and they struggled to stay on their feet even as the airship fled the area.

Sephiroth had the Black Materia, and had probably already used it. The Weapons had awakened. They had been forced to abandon two of their friends and allies in a situation they may not have survived. And now, they were all in the power of Shinra.

The only question was, what now?

**CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Cloud has made a bad mistake under the influence of Sephiroth, Jenova has a body, and Sephiroth's called Meteor. Good times all around. Some of the dialogue from this and the previous chapter were modified from the game's script.**

**I very nearly had Cloud attack Harry in a paranoid fit after Jenova gains a body, but I decided it was better to have him pushed by Sephiroth into a berserk rage where he doesn't care about collateral damage. This worked out much, much better, IMO.**

**Harry will play a larger role in the story, starting from the next chapter. Keep in mind that the story, while he plays a key role in shaking things up, is not just about him, but also the ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** characters.**

**1\. This line is actually a modified version of one of the lines from a song. Said song is ****_This Vicious Cabaret_****, a song written for the original, graphic novel version of ****_V for Vendetta_****. The line is "…the bulging eyes of puppets, strangled by their strings".**

**2\. Reno is escorting Hojo on the Highwind, but not in the grotto. I decided to remedy that, as well as add some Shinra troopers. Maybe they're offscreen in this sequence in the game.**

**3\. Cloud, in all likelihood, doesn't. Neither would Tifa. But by all accounts, Sephiroth had friends in Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, until events drove them apart, long before Nibelheim. These events are shown in ****_Crisis Core_****. I wanted to add this moment of humanity to Sephiroth, where a simple taunt makes him more angry than he usually is.**

**CHAPTER 10 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Cloud the Berserker****: ****_Enemy Attack_****, from ****_Final Fantasy X Remastered_****, composed by Junya Nakano. I thought this boss theme from ****_Final Fantasy X_**** (I like the remastered version of this music) feels savage and dark, suitable to Cloud losing control and attacking Jenova without any heed to his friends.**

**Mea Culpa****: ****_Who Am I? _****(FTG). A suitable theme to Cloud recovering from his madness, and rushing off to fight Sephiroth.**

**The Materia Grotto****: ****_Reunion_**** (FTG).**

**Sephiroth, the Needlessly Melodramatic****: ****_Those Chosen by the Planet_**** (FTG).**

**Escape the Crater!****: ****_Run!_****, from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu**


	13. Episode 3 News and Preview

**EPISODE 3 NEWS AND PREVIEW**

Okay, I've just posted Episode 2, which means that Episode 3 is finished, but needs polishing. Like I mentioned before, I won't release episodes until the next one is finished, to give a bit of a margin for me. Episode 3 probably won't be released for a little while (as in, very likely more than a week, unless I finish Episode 4 quickly, and I don't see that happening), but if you thought the cliffhanger for Episode 2 was big (and frankly, as big as it was, it's not that different to the game), you ain't seen nothing yet. The end of Episode 3 not only changes the party's dynamic forever with the unforeseen (even by me, until I wrote the final chapter) addition of a new party member (a character from the game who you'd think is the last person to join AVALANCHE), but also another Potterverse character ending up in the _Final Fantasy VII_ world at the very end (I had decided on this character partway through writing Episode 3, and they are present in the cliffhanger).

**EDIT:** Since posting Episode 2, as well as this, I got some more reviews which I will answer. And thanks for the reviews so far.

**Ddragon21: **I am still considering a pairing. Remember that even when he gets to Hogwarts, Harry is still 11 years old. That being said, I am leaning towards Luna. As for a familiar, I'm still going with Hedwig. Actually, an idea has just occurred to me on that score.

Anyway, the horcrux, as of chapter 3, has already been dealt with. Jenova ate it, and it has effectively ceased to exist. That was something I planned more or less from the beginning. Unfortunately, Harry now has to deal with Jenova. But you hit the nail on the head. Having Jenova in his mind actually helps his Occlumency (because she doesn't want anyone else barging in on her), though as he no longer has a connection to Voldemort, it's less of an issue. Snape may possibly try using Legilimency, but my Dumbledore won't, at least not active Legilimency. I did read in one fanfic that Legilimency can entail non-magical lie detecting, like monitoring facial expressions and the like, so Dumbledore may use that, but he doesn't generally use the magic unless he needs to, like with the Dursleys.

**wolfy098:** I'm not sure what tier 'Mother's Fire' is. I'd say a level 2 Limit Break, offhand, but that's only because Red XIII/Nanaki has, as one of his level 2 Limit Breaks the not dissimilar "Blood Fang". I don't know.

In any case, you'll have to wait a while to read Episode 3: _The Guests of Shinra_. But, like with Episode 2, I'll leave you a taster of things to come.

I mentioned having the preview to the Series 4 version of the _Doctor Who_ ending theme. I actually deliberately wrote in a countdown into the final chapter of the episode so that I could emulate one of my favourite 'next time' trailers for the series, that for _The Poison Sky_. Watch it here to get an idea of what I'm trying to emulate: watch?v=IQjtM0OotiY (put the usual YouTube url in front of this lot.)

Anyway, here's the preview.

_The _Highwind_ shuddered gently, and began to move. "Yeehaw!" came the voice of Cid over a PA system. "This is your captain speakin'. We're about to depart Junon, so if you'd hang on tight so you don't look like a bloody idiot. Unless you do look like one already, in which case, keep up the good work!"_

* * *

_The voice of Scarlet sneered over the radio. "Land the_ Highwind _now, or I'll blow you out of the sky. Ten!_"

* * *

_Palmer pulled out his hip flask and swigged copiously from it._

_"This isn't the time, Palmer!" Rufus snapped._

_"Rufus, I just had a phone call saying a big damn rock is about to hit us within three weeks and probably kill us all. I don't know about you, but I'd say that this is exactly the time! Hic!"_

* * *

_"Nine!"_

* * *

_Harry opened the envelope, and looked for the name of the sender. His eyes widened. "Albus Dumbledore."_

_"Dumbledore? But he's the one who left you with the Dursleys. How could he get a letter to you?"Aerith asked._

* * *

_"Eight!"_

* * *

_Rufus knew he wasn't alone the moment he entered his chambers after his talk with Heidegger. His senses, honed by training, were screaming at him. Calmly, he walked into the room, and began pouring out a glass of fine wine. "I wonder, are you here to try and kill me? Because that won't go well for your friends."_

_"They are not my friends. Merely allies of convenience."_

* * *

"_Seven!_"

* * *

_Aerith and Harry didn't fail to notice Reeve's eyes flicker, and Aerith muttered, "You were Cait Sith, weren't you?"_

_His eyes betrayed him, even though he remained silent. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now. Yes, Reeve Tuesti, in charge of Urban Development Planning, as well as one of the key Mako Reactor architects, and rather skilled in robotics and AI," Rufus said_.

* * *

"_Six!_"

* * *

_Rufus smiled. "Having real Cetra will still be useful, even if the Promised Land is false. They are innate magic users, able to use it without Materia. And with that in mind, we can begin Project Cetra. And before long, I think we will have a better way of enhancing members of SOLDIER."_

* * *

_"Five!"_

* * *

_Suddenly, Yuffie felt a presence behind her. Before she could wriggle around enough to see who, she heard an unwelcome voice say, "I wouldn't try. You might end up needing a…what's the word? Chiropractor, I believe."_

_"Jenova," Yuffie muttered. "And my day keeps getting better and better."_

* * *

_"Four!"_

* * *

_"It's heading for Junon, not away from it!" the radar technician yelled._

_Jenova's eyes widened. "Weapon! It's a Weapon!"_

* * *

_"Three!"_

* * *

_Harry put the letter into the envelope, and said, "Albus Dumbledore." In a flare of blue light, it vanished._

_Elena gaped. "…What was that?"_

_"Magic," Aerith said cheerfully._

* * *

_"Two!"_

* * *

_Jenova began to laugh, and then dissolved into ribbons of black cloud that swirled around the room. Her voice, eerie and ethereal, seemed to come from the very air itself. "__**By all means, try! I am Jenova, the Calamity from the Skies. Before me, you are but a worm, an ant. Abase yourself before me, you insect!**__"_

* * *

_"One!"_

* * *

_"Hang a moment," Barrett said, his brows furrowing. "Why the hell are there two suns?"_

_"That's not another sun," Harry murmured in horror. "That's Meteor."_

* * *

_Triumphantly, Scarlet's voice screamed, "OPEN FIRE!"_


	14. Chapter 11: The President and the Potter

**EPISODE 3:**

**GUESTS OF SHINRA**

_Corporations have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to be condemned; they therefore do as they like._

_-Edward Thurlow, 1__st__ Baron Thurlow_

**CHAPTER 11:**

**THE PRESIDENT AND THE POTTER**

It hadn't taken them long to be taken back, not to Midgar, but to another city, called Junon, a vast city set into the side of a cliff, and with a gigantic cannon protruding from it. Harry, as they were escorted from the _Highwind_, heard Cid muttering something about Heidegger compensating for something with that cannon(1). He didn't know why: Heidegger was a big, burly man who shouted a lot. Heidegger, in fact, reminded Harry uncomfortably of Vernon. And Scarlet reminded him uncomfortably of his aunt, if his aunt was actually beautiful instead of horse-faced(2). Thankfully, neither he nor Aerith spent very long in their company, nor that of Hojo.

Harry remembered a talk his aunt gave him, in a brief spasm of decency, about perverts, about paedophiles. He didn't think Hojo was a child abuser, but all the same, the predatory look in his eyes had Harry experience the dread and fear he had felt after Petunia's lecture(3).

Harry and Aerith were instead escorted by Elena and Rude, with the troopers present escorting the rest of AVALANCHE (save for Cait Sith, who went off by himself), possibly to cells. Any protest Harry might have made was cut off by Aerith. They had been disarmed not long after the _Highwind_ took off from the crater. Harry had been checked over by a doctor, even had his blood taken, but he, and most of the others, were treated with, if not care, then without violence. Barrett was a major exception, and Jenova had been dragged off. Yuffie had been sick with motion sickness on the trip over, and Rude, apparently taking pity on the young ninja, had given her a tranquiliser to calm her roiling stomach.

Harry had felt something happen on the way to Junon, a strange tingle centred on the pocket of his coat. But given how much he and the others had been under guard, he hadn't tried looking at the cause.

And what of Cloud? And Tifa? He hadn't known them very long, and Cloud had been not just suspicious of them, but also tried to attack them, albeit in his berserk fury. But all the same, Cloud had a lot of issues, it seemed. And Tifa wanted to help him. He hoped they were okay.

And what of Rufus Shinra? Harry noticed that they were following Rufus into the city, down various corridors, presumably to some place where big decisions were made. He was a rather cold man, young, but cold as ice. A number of people shoved papers into the young man's hands, which he studied. At one point, he stopped, and then gave Harry an appraising look. Then, he continued, before taking out a PHS unit, and saying, "Reeve? Are you sure these records are correct? Did you triple check them?" After listening to the reply, he said, "Very well. I'll meet you in the main Junon Boardroom, I'll be there within a minute. And stop Palmer from drinking!" After another pause, he nodded. "Yes, I know it helped him survive being hit by a truck(4). But he still shouldn't be drinking so much. He doesn't have a lot of brain cells to lose as it is." With that, Rufus shut off his PHS, and sighed. "I'm surrounded by idiots. Between Horse-Laugh and the Scarlet Woman and Piggy Palmer, it's a wonder my father got anything done," he muttered sullenly.

"It's so hard to find good help these days," Aerith said with a wry smile.

Rufus rounded on her, a glare in his icy blue eyes, before a thin smile twitched at his lips. "It is, isn't it?" He then spun back, and strode off, with Aerith, Harry, and the two Turks following him.

They eventually came to a vast boardroom, with a long table made of dark, panelled wood, and dominated by a large window that looked out over the ocean. Two others were currently present, neither of whom Harry recognised. One of them was a rotund man with thinning grey hair and a florid complexion, hurriedly putting away a hip flask. The other was a more slender man, with a gentle face and a neatly-trimmed goatee, but with a slightly nervous disposition. If Harry had any inclination towards gambling at his young age, he would have pegged, correctly, the former as Palmer and the latter as Reeve. They were escorted to seats and allowed to sit.

"Well, well, Elena," drawled a nasal voice, and Harry realised a third person had been present in the room. Like Elena and Rude, he was dressed in the distinctive suit of the Turks, but rather sloppily. He had messy red hair done up in a ponytail, goggles pushed up on his forehead, and green eyes. He slouched his way over. "Leavin' aside the whole debacle with Sephiroth, you actually did good. Congrats."

"Uh, thanks, Reno?" Elena said, a trifle uncertainly.

"Where are the others?" Aerith asked.

"Being interrogated by Scarlet and Heidegger," Rufus said. "However, given your value, we thought a less…arduous questioning was in order. I can assure you that whatever harm is done to them, will probably be mostly done to Mr Wallace. He is the leader of AVALANCHE as it exists now, and is thus primarily responsible for the deaths caused during the bombings of the Mako Reactors. The others present have lesser charges by comparison, and so they may be dealt with more leniently. There has been at least one advocate for that."

Aerith and Harry didn't fail to notice Reeve's eyes flicker, and Aerith muttered, "You were Cait Sith, weren't you?"

His eyes betrayed him, even though he remained silent. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now. Yes, Reeve Tuesti, in charge of Urban Development Planning, as well as one of the key Mako Reactor architects, and rather skilled in robotics and AI," Rufus said.

Aerith frowned. While she hadn't been present, she remembered what Tifa had said about the board meeting that she, Cloud, and Barrett had overheard while trying to rescue Aerith from Shinra HQ. Reeve had been the only executive present to show any concern for the residents of Sector 7 and the slums below. If that was true, then Cait Sith's attitude did make some sense.

"In any case, let me ask you to confirm the validity of what I am about to say. Sephiroth has managed to get a hold of this Black Materia, and in all likelihood, he has used it. Which means Meteor could very well be on the way. Am I correct?"

Aerith and Harry both nodded. Elena said, "I would like to apologise, sir, for failing my mission. I failed to stop Sephiroth."

Rufus looked up at Elena. Eventually, he said in a calm, level voice, "Apology accepted. But we all failed. The only question, when it comes to stopping Sephiroth, is what next? But there is another issue at hand. Intelligence gained by Cait Sith stated that Harry Potter had come from another world. I thought this patently untrue. However, during transit, I had my doctors take a blood sample, partly to have something to distract Hojo, and partly to see if I could find your nearest relatives through DNA testing."

"DNA testing?(5)" Harry asked.

Rufus frowned, before he said, "Like a fingerprint, but relating to the genetic material within you. Did they teach you this in school? Apparently not. In any case, we can tell who your family is, as we have extensive records, mostly of criminals and Shinra personnel."

"Like there's a difference," Reno drawled facetiously.

Rufus shot the insolent Turk a look, before returning to Harry and Aerith. "Also, people who have check-ups in Shinra-run medical clinics. Our records are extensive enough that we could probably tell where your family comes from, give or take. And what did Reeve discover when he ran your DNA fingerprint through the records? Nothing. While our records are far from exhaustive, we should have been able to find a relatively close match, even to a distant cousin. In fact, one of the closest people we have on record is none other than Miss Gainsborough here, thanks to Hojo taking samples from her when she arrived at headquarters." He indicated Aerith. "And even she isn't closely related by any means, save for your mitochondrial DNA."

"In fact," Reeve said, his soft voice surprisingly deep, "the point of divergence appears to be about 2000 years ago, during the time of what the Cetra claimed was the Jenova crisis of the time. That's what the analysis program told me."

"So it seems that your story, fantastical though it is, has some small merit. However, that is not why I have brought you here. Most of what I know about the situation, I learned from Cait Sith," Rufus said. "Events have given me…pause for thought. I thought that the Great Northern Crater was the Promised Land. I don't know whether the boy can tell me, but perhaps you can tell me, Miss Gainsborough. Does the Promised Land exist?"

Aerith gazed at Rufus levelly. "Why now? You pursued me throughout my life, caring nothing for my opinion. Why start listening to me now?"

Rufus seemed to control himself with a supreme effort, before saying, "Hojo, of all people, said that it wasn't the Promised Land. He said it was a wound caused by the arrival of Jenova, and that we weren't seeing past the Mako and Materia. Intelligence gained by Cait Sith at Cosmo Canyon suggested that the Promised Land is more…metaphysical. Am I on the right track?"

After a while, Aerith nodded. "It seems that the Promised Land is most likely to be the Lifestream itself. For an Ancient, there is no greater goal than to return to the Planet you have helped, and join with it."

Rufus considered her, before saying a calm word that summed up his thoughts succinctly. "Damnation."

"So, you're giving up your search for the Promised Land?" Aerith asked.

"I'm not giving up a search for the site of Neo-Midgar, if that's what you mean," he said, getting to his feet and walking to the window. "But events have forced me to reconsider the actual existence of the Promised Land. And in any case, searching for it, at the moment, is somewhat moot. I've had Heidegger send out remote reconnaissance drones to the Crater to see if we can find anything. Reports should come in before long. But I think stopping Sephiroth and Meteor is a greater priority. After all, there's no point in trying to rule the world when a madman is trying to destroy it instead."

"Aerith's already done more than you," Harry said, speaking up for the first time. "Aerith, tell him about Holy."

"Ah, yes, I do know about Holy," Rufus said. "Once more, Cait Sith delivers. But where was Holy when Sephiroth summoned Meteor?"

"He could know how to block it. Sephiroth is already powerful enough to do so. So defeating Sephiroth should be our priority, both Shinra's and AVALANCHE's."

Rufus opened his mouth to speak, before a ringtone wafted through the air. Palmer, who had been dozing, sat bolt upright, and fumbled for his own phone. Seeing their looks, Rufus said, "I had my astronomers around the world on the alert, looking out for any large approaching celestial bodies. It seems that Meteor may be on its way."

"WHAT?!" Palmer suddenly yelled into the phone. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU'D BETTER NOT BE! Well, damn! Okay, keep an eye on it, and keep us appraised(6). Palmer out." The rotund man folded his phone away, and looked at Rufus, his usually florid face pale and sweating. "Astronomers have discovered an object fifty kilometres wide heading our way. In fact, they've observed it before, and it seemed to suddenly veer off course. ETA seems to be about three weeks(7)." Palmer pulled out his hip flask and swigged copiously from it.

"This isn't the time, Palmer!" Rufus snapped.

"Rufus, I just had a phone call saying a big damn rock is about to hit us within three weeks and probably kill us all. I don't know about you, but I'd say that this is _exactly_ the time! Hic!"

"He has a point, sir," Reno drawled.

Rufus glared at them both. "Drinking yourself to death is not what we will do at Shinra! I don't care if it is futile, I refuse to go to my death like a chocobo to the abattoir without doing something. Reeve! As Palmer seems set on remaining the useless dolt that he is, you call Heidegger and Scarlet. One of them may have a means of destroying Meteor before it reaches the Planet."

"Sir," Reeve said with a nod, before leaving the room, fumbling for his PHS.

"Rude? Elena? Take these two to secure accommodation. VIP treatment, understand? I'd prefer to avoid killing the goose that laid the golden egg. And later, Miss Gainsborough can tell me more about Holy."

The two Turks saluted, and made their way out, their prisoners in tow.

* * *

The accommodation was certainly luxurious. Elena explained that it was normally for VIPs from other countries and organisations who needed secure premises to stay. Harry had never known such luxury, and Aerith had only seen such things in books and TV, unless you counted Don Corneo's Mansion. And he, well, he tended to enjoy extremely garish décor, to say the least.

But a gilded cage was a cage nonetheless. They were left to their own devices, but Aerith knew that they were being watched, and warned Harry.

It was then that Harry remembered the strange tingling he had felt from his coat pocket earlier, and searched it. He frowned when he found an envelope, and a rather thick one at that. Made seemingly of parchment, and with his name on it, written in a rather extravagantly loopy script.

"Where'd you get that?" Aerith asked, curious.

"I…I felt it arrive in my coat. I don't know how it got there, except by some sort of magic," Harry muttered. He opened it, and looked for the name of the sender. His eyes widened. "Albus Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? But he's the one who left you with the Dursleys. How could he get a letter to you?"

Harry almost wanted to tear the letter up. But he stopped himself. Hopefully, Dumbledore had some very good apologies in here. So he started at the beginning, and read it out loud…

**CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS**

**In the game, Tifa falls unconscious during the Weapons' emergence, and stays that way for a week. Given the different circumstances, I thought things should be different when the team returns to Junon. The emphasis here is on Harry and Aerith, and their first full meeting with Rufus.**

**Rufus Shinra is a bit of a troubling character. In ****_Advent Children_****, he makes a sudden change to being a good guy, albeit one who is manipulative to a degree that Dumbledore might be proud. So I wanted to try and bridge that gap, as Rufus isn't as complex a character in the original game. I decided, at this point in his life, he is a brutal pragmatist. Selfish and callous, but he won't disregard all information out of hand. Does he have doubts about the Mako Reactors killing the Planet? I don't think he cares. Would he rather rule through fear than love? Yes. But he also doesn't discount everything, even what AVALANCHE says, at least where Sephiroth and Meteor is concerned. I've decided to write scenes that shows the transition between the cold-hearted CEO to the redemption-seeking funder of the WRO.**

**1\. When I captioned a screenshot of the Sister Ray (while it was at Junon) for my playthrough of the Steam version, I made this very same crack. A lot of Heidegger's actions suggest overcompensation.**

**2\. Scarlet looks down on Tifa in the game, and looks down on a lot of people in general. Petunia certainly has this flaw, though Scarlet certainly has more style than Petunia Dursley.**

**3\. I don't think Hojo is a paedophile. Then again, what he is is pretty much as bad. He violates people all the same, just not sexually (his experiment with Aerith and Red XIII aside). Then again, I wrote something in a later chapter, not involving Aerith, but her mother…**

**4\. Palmer, rather comically, gets hit by a truck at the end of the single boss fight with him. I heard that drunk people tend to survive physical trauma better because they are more relaxed. Ironic, as drunkenness tends to get you into more of these situations (like car crashes and fights) in the first place. So this is not me advocating you get drunk. That is stupid.**

**5\. This is set in late 1990/early 1991 by Earth's calendar, and I pegged it as January in a previous chapter. DNA testing for criminal cases has been around since the Colin Pitchfork case. DNA testing was used in the 1986/1987 investigation to solve two murders. Pitchfork had bribed a friend to take the test for him, and it was only because the friend was overheard discussing this in a pub that Pitchfork's real DNA was tested. According to Wikipedia, at least four other criminal cases before 1990 involved either convictions or exonerations based on DNA evidence. Harry may or may not have heard of the technique in 1990, so I decided that he hadn't. Given that the world of ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** is advanced enough for genetic manipulation of various kinds, it's almost unthinkable of them to not have DNA fingerprinting.**

**6\. Palmer is an idiot. The word is 'apprised', but he is an idiot, and obsessed with money, as well as alcohol and…shudder tea with LARD in it. I like sweet tea, but who likes it with bloody lard?**

**7\. Allowing one week for Tifa to wake up in the main game, and about two for the final events of the game to take place.**

**CHAPTER 11 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Arrival at Junon****: ****_Shinra, Inc_**** (FTG).**

**News of Meteor****: ****_The Great Northern Crater_**** (FTG).**


	15. Chapter 12: The Letters From (And To)

**CHAPTER 12: **

**THE LETTERS FROM (AND TO) SOMEONE**

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_My boy, I do not know where to begin. It's doubtful that you know my name, so I will introduce myself. I am Professor Albus Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I also have many other titles that I will refrain from bludgeoning you with. I wish I could accumulate socks like I did titles(__1)__. But I digress._

_Perhaps you are wondering whether this letter is a prank, that you have been told all your life that magic does not exist. It was, I am sad to say, partially my fault that you are ignorant of your heritage. Perhaps if I told you your story that you may understand an old man's well-intentioned but faulty decisions._

_You probably do not know how your parents died. In fact, when I recently visited your aunt, I learned that she had told you they had died in a car crash, drunk, and this is what gave you your scar. While it is true that the events of that fateful night did give you your scar, your aunt is an envious and bitter woman whose jealousy of her sister, I now know, knows no bounds._

_Your parents, James and Lily Potter, however, were murdered by an evil wizard. This most evil man's name was Lord Voldemort, but because of both the fear of his wrath, and a Taboo spell he put on his name, most people called him He Who Shall Not Be Named, or You Know Who. Many still do. Incidentally, a Taboo spell notifies people when a certain word is spoken. He sent his followers to attack those who spoke his name with impunity, and only now, with his defeat, is it gone(__2)__. _

_The full details of why he attacked your parents, I cannot tell you for the time being. Know that a sensitive truth is involved. However, your parents defied Voldemort on numerous occasions beforehand, and they were a symbol of the resistance against him. They went into hiding, and had entrusted their best friend, and your godfather, Sirius Black, with the secret of their location. However, Black betrayed them, telling Voldemort where to find them._

_Voldemort entered your home, and murdered your father first. Your mother went to protect you, and begged for Voldemort to spare your life in exchange for her own. Voldemort, however, didn't make bargains, and after killing Lily, turned his wand on you. And that, my boy, is where things become uncertain. What is known is that you survived the Killing Curse, a curse which no other person has survived being hit with. Voldemort himself disappeared, apparently destroyed, though I have a feeling that he is still alive._

_Overnight, for surviving the Killing Curse and 'defeating' Lord Voldemort, you became famous. I had to take action to protect you from reprisals. I learned that your mother had placed blood wards around your aunt's house, and while I knew that your mother and aunt hadn't gotten along for some time, the blood wards were so potent a protection, neither Voldemort nor his followers, the Death Eaters, could attack you while you were there. It also granted you a personal protection, for your mother's loving sacrifice gave you the best protection of all against Voldemort. He cannot touch you without suffering great pain, I suspect._

_I decided to leave you at your aunt's, along with a note of explanation. I decided that your aunt would be a decent place for you to grow up in for a number of reasons. I mentioned the blood wards. I also wished to have you raised in the Muggle (that is, non-magical) world to shield you from your fame. And finally, in magical society, blood and family are supreme. Had I not left you with the Dursleys, any number of magical families would have begun to fight over you, and you are distantly related to more than one family whose dealings are less than light._

_For this, this old fool begs unreservedly for your forgiveness. My reasons were sound, but unfortunately, the consequences were dire. The blood wards around your aunt's home have collapsed. Normally, they would take some time to do so, but if you recanted that place as your home, then that would do so, and unfortunately, I cannot re-establish them, not without possibly making a mistake, or at least more than I already have._

_I have contacts in the Wizarding World who told me that you have travelled to another world, via a magical means known as 'the Goddess' Gate'. While I cannot use this spell for transporting myself or any others, yet, I have been told I may send you correspondence, and give you the means to reply, if only to let me know you are alive and well. If you wish to respond, merely use the envelopes I have provided with this letter, and seal them, and say "Professor Dumbledore" clearly._

_When I learned of what had happened to you, I learned that one of the legends of our people is true, that many of our ancestors came from another world, 2000 years ago. What is this world like? I know asking such a question is a bother, but one of my more bothersome traits is an insatiable curiosity. But the legend of the Cetra is a fascinating one that few believe._

_There is one thing I do need to ask. Have you had any problems with your scar? One of these days, you may have to return to our world, so I may find a way to deal with it. But hopefully, that will be some time away. Soon, I hope that you are willing and able to attend Hogwarts, the school your parents were taught at, and the school you have already been signed up to attend. However, that is for the future. _

_I hope this letter finds you in good spirits, better spirits than those you left the Dursleys in._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore_

* * *

Harry looked at the letter long after he had stopped actually reading it. Aerith had been reading over his shoulder. Both of them were filled with conflicting emotions over the letter. On the one hand, they still both felt some antipathy towards the man who had left Harry with the Dursleys, Harry especially, and he failed to mention some key points that Minerva had mentioned, like the soul fragment of Voldemort in the scar. He did know something, for he alluded to Harry's scar, and said that it may need to be dealt with. And he was being evasive with that 'sensitive truth' as to why Voldemort attacked his parents. Harry knew, thanks to Minerva, that a prophecy was involved, though she didn't tell him the details.

And yet, he also was honest about the blood wards(3). He had mentioned something called 'the Goddess' Gate', presumably the means through which Minerva brought Harry into this world. His reasons for leaving Harry with the Dursleys were well-stated, and Harry, while he wasn't sure how long it would be until he forgave Dumbledore, at least understood his reasons.

Harry looked at Aerith, and got an impish grin on his face. He knew that he was going to have some fun with the reply. He wondered what Dumbledore would think when he heard about the soul fragment of Voldemort getting eaten.

He knocked on the door, hoping that one of the Turks was present. Sure enough, Elena was present. "What is it?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Umm, is there anything I can write or type with?"

Elena frowned, before moving into the room, albeit carefully, in case Harry or Aerith were planning something. Eventually, she unfolded a screen and a keyboard on a desk, and activated it. "Don't you have laptops on your world, kid?" she asked.

"I…I don't know," Harry replied(4). "I just want to write a letter and print it out."

Elena's PHS trilled, and she answered it. "Yes? Oh. Okay. Look, I searched him myself. Do we let him do another?" Eventually, she nodded. "Okay."

Aerith watched as Elena put her PHS away. "Are you going to take it from him?"

"Temporarily. Look, I can have it photocopied and brought back to you. Rufus wants it analysed, he's got you under surveillance."

Harry, annoyed but resigned, handed the letter over, along with one of the envelopes. "Just get it back soon, please?"

"I'll try, kid. Hopefully, we can get the original back to you." With that, Elena left.

Harry, frowning, went over to the laptop. He had used a computer maybe once or twice in school, on the rare occasion that the teachers would let the class do so. Dudley had to be forcibly stopped from having food near his. Harry looked at Aerith, who smiled. "I'll help you compose it. Hopefully, they'll let you print it and send it."

Harry smirked. He didn't know it, but he got much of an impish streak from his father, albeit more tempered by his time with the Dursleys and by his mother's genes. "How do you think Dumbledore will react when I tell him that Jenova ate the Voldemort soul fragment? Do you reckon he'll faint?"

"We can but hope," Aerith said, smiling impishly herself. She had a rather mischievous streak herself, given her enjoyment of getting Cloud to dress up as a woman to infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion. The fact that Corneo actually picked Cloud as his choice of paramour for the evening was the funniest part.

Harry, grinning, got to work, under Aerith's guidance. For the time being, their predicament was forgotten. In fact, just as they finished, Elena was back, handing Harry the letter, which had part of the parchment at the top, above the text, removed. "For analysis, you understand. You finished your letter?"

"Yes. How do I print it?"

"I'll do that," Elena said, going over to the laptop. Aerith noticed that she printed two copies, with presumably one for the eyes of Rufus Shinra. Aerith didn't protest. At the moment, what could they do? Either Rufus would consider this interesting intelligence, and try to use it to gain more trust from them, or else dismiss it.

Soon, the printed copy was returned to them, and Harry put it into the envelope, and said, "Albus Dumbledore." In a flare of blue light, it vanished.

Elena, who was still present, gaped. "…What was that?"

"Magic," Aerith said cheerfully.

* * *

Dumbledore was, thankfully, in his office when the letter from Harry arrived. Eagerly, like a starving man tearing into a joint of meat, he opened the envelope. He should have known better, in retrospect. It could have been cursed. Luckily, it hadn't been.

Even so, when he read the letter (on some sort of Muggle printout, it seemed), his eyes widened in shock. He read it again, to make sure what he was reading was correct.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I do know your name, as well as why you did what you did. The Goddess herself told me. Her name is Minerva. And yes, I understand your reasons. It doesn't stop me from being angry with you, but I still understand. I just wish you actually visited my relatives more often than you actually did, which is to say, at all._

_I slept in a cupboard under the stairs. I wasn't told my name until I went to school, only called 'boy' or 'freak'. At least, I don't remember being called Harry before I went to school. I could have coped with them being cold with me, but what they did…I think being with my new family, so to speak, is better. I may be having something of an adventure, with all the peril that that entails, but in the end, it's better than Number 4, Privet Drive._

_I'm glad you're being honest about the blood wards. But I know that you haven't been about my scar, so I will say it now: the fragment of Voldemort's soul has been dealt with. It was eaten by a woman who makes Voldemort look tame by comparison, called Jenova, and even she pales next to her son, who's a crazy mother's boy with a long sword called Sephiroth. I find it hard to believe myself, but I was told about the soul fragment by Minerva, who said there may be people able to remove it. Ironically, I got it removed by an evil monster._

_What's happened to me over the past few days is hard to summarise in one letter. Like I said, it's been an adventure. I've nearly died at the hands of various monsters and at least one crazy person (well, he was being controlled by Sephiroth, but still), nearly froze to death, nearly got crushed by a collapsing cave, slid down a ski slope at breakneck speed with no skis, and nearly fell down some stairs. My travelling companions included a foul-mouthed pilot, a talking mountain lion, a talking toy cat, a trio of rebels against a big corporation, one of the dirty jobs people of that corporation, a flower seller, and a ninja. If that sounds insane, you haven't spoken with them. But they've been a better family, for the most part, than the Dursleys. And in a way, I am enjoying it._

_That flower seller, by the way, was the first to meet me. Her name is Aerith Gainsborough, and she's a Cetra, like you mentioned. She's helping me write this letter, helping me write it better(__5)__. We both are, apparently, the last descendants of the Cetra on this world. Even so, here, many people can use magic. It's openly used, albeit through special crystal orbs called Materia. Cetra can use magic without them, though. Do you use Materia, or is it wands, or wandless magic?_

_I think I want to settle things here before I go to Hogwarts, assuming I do come back. Thanks for the envelopes, though. I actually do want to enter a correspondence. I want to know as much as I can about the Wizarding World back in Britain. And maybe you'll want to hear about my adventure._

_Yours,_

_Harry Potter_

_PS. This is Aerith, by the way. I helped Harry type this up and write it up somewhat. Rest assured, Dumbledore, I am doing my very best to look after him. But it is a tough situation, and it's not over yet. Jenova, in case you're wondering, is the very monster who forced some of our people to come to your world in the first place. And Sephiroth, to my knowledge, makes Voldemort look like an infant. But Minerva brought Harry here for a reason, and he has saved my life at least twice over. I hope you take that into consideration._

Dumbledore sat back and digested this. If what they said was true, then Harry had indeed a horcrux within his scar. And it had been removed. Thank Merlin for that! He would have to confirm it, but it now meant that Harry's death was now not necessary. He could only hope that this was no hoax, that Harry and Aerith were not deceiving him, or were being deceived.

And the Goddess' name was Minerva? He chuckled slightly, thinking of Professor McGonagall as the embodiment of divine wrath. He did sober quickly. Minerva was the Roman name for Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. Still, he had some information, it seemed. Harry was indeed in peril. He was, after all, having an adventure, and even Dumbledore's old friend Tolkien(6) had once written that adventures were 'nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things'(7). But he also seemed happy, despite his peril.

For the moment, he could do little, but continue their correspondence. But what topic could he go onto?

Hogwarts. Harry was uncertain that he wanted to come to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore needed him to be here, vagaries of interdimensional travel aside. So his next missive would be on the subject of Hogwarts and its staff, advocating them to the boy. With a smile, helped by the reassuring trill of Fawkes, he began thinking about his next letter…

**CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

**A nice interlude, with Dumbledore and Harry finally in contact. Aerith effectively ghost-wrote the letter (Harry's 10, and I don't know how many ten-year olds would be able to write that well), although she consulted with Harry what she should put in it. Soon, there will be reconciliation between Harry and Dumbledore, and the beginnings of changes to Harry Potter canon.**

**Dumbledore is yet to be fully convinced that the horcrux in Harry's head is gone, but he is hoping that it is true. I believe that the canon Dumbledore did not want Harry dead, and did not take such a decision lightly, probably agonising over it into the wee hours. I think he should have looked harder for means to remove the horcrux, though. In a way, I think that, if the blood wards around the Dursleys' house became a non-issue and it was too late for Dumbledore to do anything about it (not to mention Harry being outside Voldemort's reach), he would concede that point.**

**1\. He does seem to accumulate titles in the same way some people accumulate debt, as mentioned before.**

**2\. While never stated in canon, I heard at least one fanfic state that the Taboo on Voldemort's name in ****_The Deathly Hallows_**** was also used during the first Voldemort war, and one of the reasons Dumbledore used Voldemort's name with impunity (besides his power) were the strong wards of Hogwarts. It does make sense, given how feared his name was.**

**3\. I think that this is one of the things Dumbledore should have been more upfront with Harry about. I can understand holding things back about the Prophecy or the horcrux, but the blood wards, given that it is the only reason Harry should go back to the Dursleys at that point (shielding him from his fame is irrelevant by the time he goes to Hogwarts), is another matter.**

**4\. Laptops did exist by this point on Earth, but weren't that common as far as I know.**

**5\. She pretty much was the ghost-writer for it, hence why it's a bit more sophisticated than what a ten-year old would write.**

**6\. I can't remember where, but one fanfic had Dumbledore mention in passing that he knew Tolkien.**

**7\. A direct quote, more or less, from ****_The Hobbit_****.**

**CHAPTER 12 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Dumbledore's Letter****: ****_On That Day, Five Years Ago_**** (FTG).**


	16. Chapter 13: Takeover Bid

**CHAPTER 13:**

**TAKEOVER BID**

Rufus Shinra sighed as he made his way to the Detention and Interrogation block. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. He already got the intelligence that Harry had not just somehow received a letter from someone with the improbable name of Dumbledore (and unless it was an elaborate double-bluff, Rufus could not see how anyone would choose such an alias, except maybe a 10 year old kid like Harry), but was somehow sending letters back to another world. If this was true (Rufus was waiting for the analysis of the samples Harry had surrendered to them), then the situation had become more complicated than it already was. It had already become more complicated than it needed to be.

And now, Yuffie had escaped(1). In terms of prisoner value, it wasn't a big disaster. Rufus was going to use her to get leverage over Lord Godo of Wutai, her father, but Godo had already surrendered so many concessions to Shinra already that, as a hostage, Yuffie wasn't quite that valuable.

But she was an escape artist, or at least had improved since the Don Corneo incident at Wutai. Ninja were supposed to be capable of escape from virtually any situation. The fact that she was a thief, and thus used to breaking INTO secure locations probably helped. All she needed to do was reverse her perspective. And now that she was free, it meant that she could, assuming she was inclined to, free the others.

Heidegger was there, being obnoxiously obsequious. "I am SO sorry, sir! I will…"

"Save it, Heidegger. Have the troops been alerted?"

"Y-Yes sir! Do you want her alive?"

"Yes. If she ends up dead, at the hands of a Shinra Trooper, Lord Godo might just consider declaring war on us again. It's the one thing that may rouse the man from his stupor. Has she freed any of the others?"

"No, sir. I have doubled the guards on the remaining terrorists!"

"Heidegger, only Barrett Wallace is the proven terrorist, being both the leader of AVALANCHE and a participant in the bombings. The other members of AVALANCHE who had participated in the Reactor Bombings are either dead, or missing, presumed dead. And I'm not yet sure whether to declare either Cloud Strife or Tifa Lockheart dead until I see their bodies. What of the behaviour of the others?"

Heidegger ran a hand through his shaggy beard. "That former specimen of Hojo's, the mountain lion, is just lying there, all sullen. He's answered our questions, but that's it. Same goes for that former Turk, Valentine. I remember him. Had the hots for Professor Crescent, though who wouldn't?" Heidegger leered beneath his beard. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Rufus waved a hand impatiently. "And Cid?"

"Swearing up a storm and threatening bodily harm on us, like Barrett," Heidegger smirked. "Do we charge him with theft of the _Tiny Bronco_?"

"Not yet. He might be useful if we need to use the _Highwind_. And what of the Jenova creature?"

"Sits in her cell, smirking, and refusing to answer our questions. I can see where Sephiroth gets it from. Damn, but she gives me the chills. For a moment, though, she looked like she was on fire. Black smoke seemed to come from her. But she looks fine now."

"Then keep an eye on her, and place her under the heaviest guard. The last thing we need is another like Sephiroth."

* * *

Rufus knew he wasn't alone the moment he entered his chambers after his talk with Heidegger. His senses, honed by training, were screaming at him. Calmly, he walked into the room, and began pouring out a glass of fine wine. "I wonder, are you here to try and kill me? Because that won't go well for your friends."

"They are not my friends. Merely allies of convenience."

Rufus frowned. The words could have been those of Yuffie. But the voice, coming from behind him, was not. It was a low, throaty purr. He poured out a second glass of wine. "I'm surprised that you escaped your cell and got here so fast, as I am sure I left you in your cell. But then again, with you, there is always the unexpected, isn't there?" He turned to face the intruder with the glasses in hand, with her blue skin and silvery hair, her orange eyes glowing eerily in the dim room. The suit she wore, similar to his own, was not a sincere form of flattery. To him, anyway. But it did look good on her body, he would admit that. "So, what is it that you want?"

"Ah, ever the businessman, trying to determine the needs and wants of his customers…or manufacturing them," Jenova purred, stepping forward. Without being bid, she took a wine glass. "I want many things. Sephiroth destroyed. My power regained. My face on the hundred gil note(2)."

"And yet, Sephiroth is your son," Rufus remarked, wondering about that comment about the hundred gil note.

"If I remember correctly, you didn't get on with your father," Jenova said. "And I know for a fact Sephiroth doesn't get along with his father, Hojo. But I digress. It's a bad habit. You and I can certainly agree on one thing: Sephiroth must die. Unfortunately, he cannot die easily. After all, he is, effectively, a Jenova creature. Dismember us, scatter our cells to the corners of this world, and we can still survive, and thrive, and reform, stronger than ever. In order to destroy us all, you would have to destroy the entire Planet. And she's unhappy enough with you as it is. But I believe that his consciousness can be destroyed, or at least rendered inert. All he has to do is be weakened enough, and I can supplant him."

"And then what?" Rufus asked, as the entity before him drank her glass of wine.

"Mmm. Good year," she muttered, looking at the glass. "But that is the billion gil question, isn't it? You're not an imbecile, not like most of your underlings. You're almost certain that I'd betray you the moment I get the chance. To be honest, I'm not sure whether I will. Not because I subscribe to morality, but because this world has been somewhat more troublesome than I am used to. I don't quite remember what it has been like before, but I am sure it was easier." She looked up, her eyes gleaming. "But I do like to set things up in advance where I can. For example, you never asked how I entered your room, or even escaped my cell. The funny thing about Jenova cells is that we can shapeshift extremely swiftly, drawing upon the innate powers of magic. I can even split off part of my mass. I think that oaf Heidegger noticed it, but didn't understand what was going on. It had been a while since I could do this, admittedly. I'm out of practise. I can scatter my cells to the winds, and make sure they come back together where I want them to. Junon's ventilation shafts are easy. I just left part of me in there. It is why we have an instinct to come back together. It helps when you're split apart over a distance."

"Fascinating," Rufus murmured sarcastically. "I'll be sure to notify Hojo."

"I'm sure you will. But there's another advantage to being able to scatter my cells into the air. It's how I infected the Cetra." Her smile became diabolical. "It's how I have infected _you_."

Rufus froze, his eyes widening briefly, before he said, as calmly as he could manage (which was quite calm, admirably), "You're bluffing."

"Am I? Am I really?" She put her hand forward, just over his chest. "Already, they are moving to establish themselves in your body, Rufus Shinra. I can feel them, like warm little pinpricks within your cold, cold heart."

He shoved her away, sending her sprawling to the ground. As she looked up at him, he glared down at her. "I will merely remove them, make a vaccine," he said in a voice that was far more calmer than he clearly felt. "And then, I will have you returned to Hojo, like the upstart lab specimen that you are."

She began to laugh, and then dissolved into ribbons of black cloud that swirled around the room. Her voice, eerie and ethereal, seemed to come from the very air itself. "_By all means, try! I am Jenova, the Calamity from the Skies. Before me, you are but a worm, an ant. Abase yourself before me, you insect!_"

"Never!" Rufus yelled, before the compulsion hit him. He struggled against it, but his body wanted to sink to his knees.

The laughter once more. "_You pit your puny will against mine? Kneel! KNEEL BEFORE THE MIGHT OF JENOVA!(_3)"

Rufus fought every step of the way, pain stabbing in every joint and every organ and every nerve. Eventually, the pressure relented. Panting, he said, "Nice try, but the Shinra Company does not submit to takeover bids. We ARE the takeover bid."

"_Hmm…perhaps I was hasty. But it matters not. Sooner or later, the Jenova cells within you will strengthen enough to overcome your impressive but futile defences. It's only a matter of time, Rufus Shinra. And you won't be able to find a cure in time. Hojo is the only person capable, and I don't think he's inclined to. He'd just view you as an interesting experiment. An upstart specimen. But I intend to find a way to stop Sephiroth. With your help, with AVALANCHE's help, or without help, it makes no difference to me. And on that note, I bid you adieu, Mr President._" With an ethereal, mocking laugh, the dark ribbons of Jenova cells wafted out of the room.

Rufus Shinra, his face twisted in fury, threw the glass of wine in his hand against the wall, where it shattered. Glass and wine flew everywhere. He noted, perversely, that the wine running down the wall looked like a blood spatter. He should have smeared the bitch's brains all over the wall when he had the chance. It may not have killed her, but he might have gotten some satisfaction from it.

_Damn you, old man_, Rufus thought to himself. He had caught the mania, the obsession with the Cetra from President Shinra. It was his father who had funded the expedition that had excavated Jenova's remains from where they had been sealed. It was his father who authorized and funded the Jenova Project, and its offshoots Project G and Project S, spawning monsters like Genesis and Sephiroth. It was his father who had staffed the science division with madmen like Hojo and Hollander. And what had they gotten from it? Time and time again, unstable supersoldiers who threatened the very world Shinra intended to dominate. And now, it was looking like one of them may very well succeed.

It was thus rather unfortunate that his PHS began to play its ringtone: the Victory Fanfare from _Loveless_(4). Snarling, he answered it and snapped, "What?"

The voice of one of the scientists he had assigned to check the artifacts on Harry Potter asked, "_Sorry, sir, is this a bad time?_"

Calming himself with a titanic effort, Rufus said, "Yes, it is. But continue. You obviously have some sort of news."

"_We do, sir. Tentative analysis suggests that the material used to create the letter is parchment. It's definitely calfskin(__5)__. But the isotope proportions are wrong. Not that much so, but we can't track it to any known place in the world. In addition, both the sample of parchment and the envelope we were given are saturated in unknown energy. Much of it seems similar to the energy of an Exit Materia's magic, but the power readings are off the charts, and there's a number of differences. While it's still a remote possibility, it does lend a certain credence to the Cetra boy's story._"

Rufus pulled the photocopy of the letter from his coat pocket and looked at it, reading it over once more. Eventually, he said, "It still makes no difference. We'll ship them back to Midgar before long, and put them under the care of a researcher other than Hojo. Having real Cetra will still be useful, even if the Promised Land is false. They are innate magic users, able to use it without Materia. And with that in mind, we can begin Project Cetra. And before long, I think we will have a better way of enhancing members of SOLDIER."

His conversation over, Rufus disconnected, and smiled. Yes. Project Cetra, actually using material from Cetra. With those, he could create members of SOLDIER with the ability to use magic innately, and without the insanity and malformations Jenova cells caused. Shinra's might would increase beyond what it was already.

But that was for the future, once everything was secured. He first had to deal with Sephiroth and Jenova. He would vanquish the monsters that beset this world.

It was ironic, then, with that thought, that his PHS rang once more, and when he answered, he received the first report of an attack by a Weapon.

* * *

Of course, he didn't know it, but not long after Jenova's departure, Scarlet received a message. One that had her grinning viciously in anticipation. Now she had all that she needed…

**CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

**It occurred to me once I had started this fanfic in earnest that, if I was going to have Jenova as a character in this, how would she deal with Shinra? I decided on having her discuss matters with Rufus, even considered having her try to seduce him. But I suck at seduction scenes, and so this came about.**

**I also wanted to show some of Rufus' developing psychology. I'd think he has major daddy issues. He's a long way from the man seeking redemption in ****_Advent Children_****, but I'd like to think he's a more complex character than he is in the game. While this Rufus still intends to rule through fear, he's also a pragmatist. Unfortunately, he's also surrounded by idiots, madmen, or both.**

**The dark clouds that Jenova forms and reforms from were inspired by the ribbons of 'Dark Lifestream' seen during Sephiroth's battle with Cloud in ****_Advent Children_****. I assumed that they were Jenova-cell laden 'Lifestream' ribbons, especially as Sephiroth does say that the Jenova cells from the dead of Geostigma will eventually usurp the normal Lifestream ('choking' and 'corroding' it).**

**And what is Scarlet up to? You'll see… ;)**

**1\. How did Yuffie end up free and as a news interviewer in the game? This is my reasoning how: she is a ninja (and a good ninja should be able to escape a situation if necessary), and while she wasn't good at escaping from Don Corneo, she nonetheless manages to escape Shinra prison, suggesting either Corneo's people were too competent, or she threw herself into learning or refreshing her knowledge on escapology after Wutai.**

**2\. A little reference to the Tim Burton ****_Batman_**** film, and that line delivered by the Joker.**

**3\. These two lines are a reference to the lines Sutekh uttered in ****_Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars_****. Unfortunately, Sutekh was too strong for the Doctor, who was forced not only to kneel, but become Sutekh's puppet for a time.**

**4\. Actually, it's the ****_Final Fantasy_**** Victory Fanfare. Given that it is heard as Loz's ringtone in ****_Advent Children_****, it probably exists as a real peace of music in the world of ****_Final Fantasy VII_****. I decided that it was part of some incidental music used for ****_Loveless_****.**

**5\. I presume this is what the wizarding world, being old-fashioned, uses for their parchment. There are many variations of parchment, including at least one that doesn't use animal products.**

**CHAPTER 13 SOUNDTRACK:**

**A Meeting of Malicious Minds****: ****_Immoral Melody_****, from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.**


	17. Chapter 14: Yuffie the Breakout Planner

**CHAPTER 14:**

**YUFFIE, THE BREAKOUT PLANNER**

Yuffie chortled quietly to herself as the Shinra troopers marched by her hiding place. After the indignity of being caught by that fat pervert Don Corneo, she had taken to carrying the training manual her father had forced upon her, and revising from it every so often. And now, it had paid off. Shinra was totally clueless as to where she was, and she was free.

The only question was, what now? Her escape had put Shinra on high alert. She was better at stealth than she had been during the time Cloud and the others chased her through Wutai, trying to get their Materia back. So hiding wasn't the problem. It was deciding what to do next.

Not long ago, she would have left the others to their fate and tried to find a way back to Wutai, her ill-gotten gains in tow. Now, it was another matter entirely. Morality wasn't that big a factor: she had grown fond of her comrades, it was true, and she didn't want to abandon them. But she was, in the end, a solitary person. Her father's apathy to their country's plight (suffering the utter indignity not just of defeat, but of becoming a tourist trap!) taught her to be self-sufficient. Plus, the fact that she had a rather large ego didn't help.

No, it was more of a pragmatic reason. Sephiroth had summoned Meteor. And frankly, what would be the point of heading back to Wutai with the spoils if there wasn't time to make use of them? And then, there was the debt she owed them. They had saved her from that lecherous bastard Corneo (and from either a deadly fate…or else a fate as his concubine, neither very appealing), and giving them their Materia back didn't quite cover the debt.

The question was, though, how to spring them?

She was currently in a ventilation shaft. Cramped, even for a relatively small teenager like Yuffie, but big enough to hide. And frankly, she'd prefer a cramped space to a ship or an airship. At least Rude had been kind enough to give her a tranquiliser while they were on the _Highwind_.

Suddenly, Yuffie felt a presence behind her. Before she could wriggle around enough to see who, she heard an unwelcome voice say, "I wouldn't try. You might end up needing a…what's the word? Chiropractor, I believe."

"Jenova," Yuffie muttered. "And my day keeps getting better and better."

"Now, now, don't be like that. Frankly, I admire your initiative. We're the only ones currently out of our cells. I think we should change that state of affairs, don't you?"

Yuffie wondered why she was bothering listening to the words of the scary space monster and mother of Sephiroth. But she didn't have much of a plan. Even so, she said, "What do you mean we? I'm a master of unlocking, infiltration, and stealth. What do you have?"

She could hear the smirk in Jenova's voice. "I'm a shapeshifter. And capable of going through ventilation systems far smaller than you can get through."

"Well, shapeshifting'd be pretty good." An idea came to Yuffie, and she smirked herself. "Tell me, you'd be good at imitating a Shinra trooper, wouldn't you?"

"Well, I _do_ love a man in uniform…"

* * *

Of course, there was more to the plan than that. Yuffie, despite popular opinion, wasn't an idiot, or at least not all of the time. The prison cell block had camera surveillance. The moment anyone saw a breakout occurring, the place would be flooded with Shinra soldiers.

And as she and Jenova moved from hiding place to hiding place, she learned of two wrinkles to the plan. One, she pretty much knew already: Harry and Aerith were being held elsewhere. If they had been held with the others, it'd be less complicated. The other wrinkle, she learned of while stealing a Shinra trooper uniform in the evening of that day.

Barrett Wallace was to be executed.

It hadn't been officially announced, but according to gossip from Heidegger, Rufus was intending to make Barrett an example. Besides his crimes in leading AVALANCHE, Rufus had also decided to hold him solely responsible for failing to stop Sephiroth from using the Black Materia. He was the self-proclaimed leader of AVALANCHE, after all, and Cloud and Tifa were missing, presumed dead.

Still, as much as she hated wearing the too-large uniform, and that of her enemy, it gave her some freedom of movement. Now she understood a bit more about what it meant to hide in plain sight.

Jenova had shapeshifted into a Shinra trooper herself, and had taken the body she left in the cells away. Having revealed herself to Rufus, there was no point in pretending that she was still in captivity. As they ate in the cafeteria that evening, Jenova said, "I've managed to make a few copies of myself. Just to keep an eye on things. I've even managed to find a way to get on guard duty for the two Cetra with one of my copies."

The two Cetra. Not Harry and Aerith. Yuffie found it strange and chilling to be talking to this very human avatar of an ancient and alien entity. As much as she was self-centred, she'd call Harry and Aerith by their names, and it stung more so because they were friends.

Were they friends? Maybe. Yuffie didn't know. She hadn't known Harry for long, but already, she had felt some kind of bond, like that of a little brother. And once he had been drawn out of his shell, he had been fun to play with on the trip to Icicle Inn. And then, Cloud had to go and ruin it. Well, him and Nanaki, but Nanaki's problem was a slip of the tongue. Still, she had helped Harry during the arduous climb up the Gaea Cliffs.

And Aerith? She had been one of the ones to help save her from Don Corneo, and the one to lend her Materia during Yuffie's ascension up the Pagoda. She was easily the kindest of the group, and while Yuffie, at the time, thought that meant she was more easily suckered, recently, she came to enjoy it. Plus, she had an impish sense of humour, and Yuffie had laughed (at Cloud's expense, naturally) when Aerith retold the tale of getting Cloud to wear women's clothing to infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion back in the Midgar slums. If Harry was like the little brother she never had, then Aerith was like a big sister.

Jenova's words, therefore, rankled at Yuffie. But she kept quiet about that. It was in her best interests to avoid antagonising the evil alien entity.

"Good," she said. "How are they?"

"Healthy. Rufus is making preparations to ship them back to Midgar, though. So our breakout has to occur before either they are transferred, or else before Barrett is executed. Whichever comes first."

"And why do you care?"

"I don't," Jenova admitted. "But I do care about stopping Sephiroth. Barrett, Aerith, and Harry all are…useful. And besides, rescuing them will thwart Shinra, and that thought alone will keep me warm at night. Shinra revived me, true, but they used me. Me, the Calamity from the Skies. Me, who should have been the Empress of this world. They kept me prisoner. Cut me apart. I would've torn apart Hojo once I escaped, but he's already fled back to Midgar. Plus, he stinks heavily of Jenova cells."

"Wait, what? Creepy ol' Hojo has Jenova cells in his body?"

"Yes. I guess he infected himself with them. And they are the ones tainted by Sephiroth. I guess he's so fixated on human experimentation, he didn't even care about using himself as a test subject." Jenova sighed. "He is heavily infected. If he ever does fight us, he may mutate. But I digress. We will get the others out of custody. I believe that I can find suitable transport."

"Like the _Highwind?_" Yuffie said, grinning. Seeing it matched on Jenova's mouth, the only part of her exposed, she said, "Great minds think alike!"

* * *

She didn't sleep in the barracks, knowing that she might end up discovered. Instead, she slept, albeit uncomfortably, in a ventilation duct. So it was on that first night of freedom that she ended up being surprised for a second time by an intruder. Only this one was right on top of her. A large (well, large for the size of the vent), furry thing that she thought was a Mako-mutated rat at first, so she screamed (silently, as she had, with some foresight, cast a Silence spell on herself to prevent anyone from hearing her snore), and slammed the furry thing into the wall.

"Ouch, lassie, that hurt!" came a familiar voice. Yuffie realised that she was holding in her hands none other than Cait Sith, without his usual giant Moogle conveyance.

Quickly and quietly, she fumbled for an Echo Screen, took it, and hissed, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Lookin' for you," Cait Sith said.

"To sell me out to the Shinra? You may have already betrayed me, but I'll wring your neck, cat…"

"No! Listen!" the cat protested. "Shut your gob for a moment and listen, lass. You wanna help your friends?"

"What kind of question is that, cat?" Yuffie snapped.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now look, Yuffie, I don't like what AVALANCHE has done. But I don't like what Shinra has done either. I'm nae blind. But things are getting bad. Rufus, obviously, won't work with AVALANCHE. But I do think you guys have some of the best chance of stoppin' Sephiroth. Hence why I'm gonna give you a little help."

"How can you help me?"

"I know many of the security codes, including those to the cells. And I know something you probably don't: Harry and Aerith are being moved to Midgar first thing tomorrow morning. In light of Jenova accosting Rufus, he's moving up his schedule. So whatever jailbreak you're going to do, you'd better do it soon."

"And why should I trust you?"

Cait Sith looked rather ashamed. "I know, I know. I haven't given you much reason to trust me. But, well, I have tae ask you, Yuffie: what else have you got to lose?"

"What indeed?" came the familiar purr of Jenova's voice, as she formed out of clouds of Jenova cells. Suddenly, Cait Sith was yanked off Yuffie with a yowl, and Yuffie looked down the shaft to see Jenova holding the protesting toy by the scruff of the neck. "But I have a better question: what have YOU got to lose, Cait Sith?"

"Ye cannae threaten me, ye know," Cait Sith said, his accent becoming more pronounced with panic.

"Oh, really? I know a thing or two about puppets, and who is pulling the strings. Though to be fair, you are a puppet, controlled by a puppet. Aren't you, Reeve Tuesti?"

As Cait Sith gasped, Yuffie frowned. She had never heard of the name. "Who?"

"The Urban Development Planner of Shinra. Architect of many a Mako Reactor, a city planner, and apparently an expert in AI and robotics." Turning her attention back to Cait Sith, she said, "And in case you're wondering how I know, well, I may not have been able to control your boss, but I managed to access some of his memories. Not enough to get by security, but enough to know some things that were meant to be secret. And I do remember you occasionally coming to the lab. The pangs of conscience on your face, but the weakness to do anything about it."

"What would _you_ know about conscience, you harridan?" Cait Sith snapped. "You haven't got one!"

Jenova went very still, before she said quietly, bringing the cat to her face, hand around his neck. "I think the point of whether I have a conscience or not is academic. You of all people should know, you can always _ignore_ your conscience(1)."

"Can we please kill each other later, preferably not in a cramped ventilation duct?" Yuffie hissed. "And preferably once we get our friends out of here?"

Jenova glanced at Yuffie, before thrusting Cait Sith in her general direction. "I believe that the term for you is a 'killjoy'," Jenova muttered.

"Look, we need a plan," Yuffie said. And then, an idea occurred to her. "Tell me, you ever heard of the Wutai Chocobo?"

"That old story? But where are we going to get enough wood?" Cait Sith asked.

"No, no. If we can get this done right, we can hijack the _Highwind_. We may not need the cell's codes after all. Tell me, can you fake prisoner transfer records?"

Cait Sith's eyes seemed perpetually closed, but Yuffie was sure that if they were open, they'd light up with enlightenment. Jenova, while intrigued, didn't seem to quite get it. "And how do we feature?"

"Well, as prisoner and escort, perhaps?" Yuffie said with a smirk on her face, a smirk that, unnervingly, was soon matched on Jenova's as well…

**CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

**I'm surprised that Yuffie seemed to do little to free the others. Then again, it's possible she did with everyone but Tifa and Barrett. I don't know. Here, she's somewhat more proactive. And Jenova's let the cat out of the bag regarding Reeve. Or maybe put the cat into a bag. Whatever.**

**Not many annotations this time, either.**

**1\. I remembered a similar line from the ****_Portal_**** comic ****_Lab Rat_****, about Doug Rattmann. A young Rattmann is discussing a sort of artificial conscience being developed to stop GlaDOS from trying to kill them. He tells a colleague that it won't work, as people can ignore their consciences.**

**CHAPTER 14 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Tactical Ninjutsu Action****: ****_Theme of Tara Remix, aka VR Missions Theme_****, from ****_Metal Gear Solid_****, composed by the KCE Sound Team.**

**The Cat in the Vents****: ****_Cait Sith's Theme_**** (FTG).**


	18. Chapter 15: Hijack the Highwind!

**CHAPTER 15:**

**HIJACK THE HIGHWIND!**

As it turned out, it was easy. All Yuffie had to do was calm her nerves while she was escorted by Jenova, in the guise of a Shinra trooper to the Junon airport. The other members of AVALANCHE were also escorted there. As it turned out, Heidegger, whose name was on the transfer orders, accepted them with a shrug. The man was known to be a hard drinker at times, and Reeve had persuaded him that the transfer was a good idea. It also included the execution order for Barrett. Reeve had told Heidegger that he hadn't told Rufus because he wanted to present it as a _fait accompli_, to make up for his earlier failures. Heidegger swallowed this. He was, after all, somewhat out of favour with Rufus, and he knew it. And he HAD drunk pretty heavily in his office the prior night, enough to end up in a stupor.

So Yuffie was being frogmarched along when she saw the _Highwind_ in the distance. And she smiled. Inwardly, anyway. Soon, with any luck, they'll be on their way. And then, they could figure out what to do next…

Or at least, that was the plan.

Unfortunately, it went to shit when they boarded the _Highwind_, only to find Rufus and a contingent of Shinra troopers at the ready in the main causeway area.

"Disappointing," he muttered. "You may have been able to persuade Heidegger of the veracity of this, but I'm not a fool. But I am willing to take over the direction of this farce. Your execution, Mr Wallace, will go down better in Midgar. It may even lure your friends out of hiding, assuming Cloud and Tifa haven't died at the Crater. If not, well, two less fleas. And the rest of you can stay as guests of Shinra."

"You mean as its prisoners," Aerith said.

"Semantics," Rufus said with a shrug. "Oh, I may release some of you, once you are of no use…and behave like good little boys and girls." Looking over at Nanaki, he added, "And miscellaneous."

"Oh, really?" Jenova, still disguised as a guard, purred behind Yuffie. "And pray tell," she said, moving from behind Yuffie, her features shifting and changing to reveal who she was, "what category do you put me into? I hope you have one marked down as 'monster'."

And then, she suddenly warped, shimmered, and _changed_. Sapphire-coloured plating seemed to cover her whole body. Bruise and blood-coloured wings sprouted from her back. A featureless helmet seemed to have formed over her head. Or perhaps it was her head. Her arms became like swords(1).

Rufus didn't even hesitate. He raised his shotgun and started firing. But it was a futile effort all the same. Bullets ricocheted off the carapace of the creature that Jenova had become, even as she whirled and danced amongst the Shinra troops, attacking them like a dervish.

Yuffie took that opportunity to free herself from the cuffs. She and Jenova had made sure that the cuffs were loose and ready to come off at a moment's notice. Quickly, she went to Cid. The reason was that he could pilot the _Highwind_, and thus get them away as soon as possible. "Get to the cockpit," she hissed in his ear. "Go!"

The next to be freed from their shackles were Barrett and Nanaki. They were probably the best at unarmed combat, and Yuffie hadn't managed to get their weapons back. Then, Aerith, Harry, and Vincent were last to be freed, given Materia to support the others.

Soon, Rufus found himself alone amongst the bodies, dead or unconscious, of the troopers. He glared at them defiantly. In fact, he glared at Jenova most of all. "Why don't you kill me, then? Like mother, like son."

"No!" Yuffie snapped, thinking quickly. "He's going to be what I was going to be for him. A hostage."

The airship around them shuddered, and then the great motors began to rev up. Already, Yuffie could feel the motion sickness coming on. _Cid must've gotten it all working_, she thought.

Jenova had shifted back into her human-like form, licking at the blood that seemed to remain on her fingers. She gazed at Rufus the whole time. Eventually, she said, "Killing you would be a mercy. Especially as you still have those lovely cells of mine growing within you." Batting him to the ground with a casual swat of her hand, she then added, "And one day, you will regret comparing me to Sephiroth. For he is but a pale imitation of my glory." And with that, she swept away.

* * *

Barrett hauled Rufus, none-too-gently, to his feet. "Sorry 'bout the poor service, Rufus. We're still training her." His sarcastic remark brought a grin to most of the others' faces, though on the now hunched-over Yuffie, it was more of a rictus, given her queasiness.

However, Harry didn't join in the revels, and Aerith soon saw why. He was staring at the bodies of the Shinra troopers. Most of them were dead, dismembered by Jenova. Thankfully, Barrett and Nanaki had only rendered their victims injured and unconscious.

_Oh my Goddess_(2), Aerith thought quietly. _It's the first time he's seen human beings dead. Even the Snow-Woman was not actually human. But these were human beings. And he's seen Jenova rip them apart_.

Rufus noticed this, and sneered, not at Harry, but at Barrett. "Look at what you did," he scoffed. "Look at the Potter boy. I knew you had an allergy to thinking Mr Wallace, but I thought you knew better than to bring a child into combat. You even left your daughter somewhere…supposedly safe. And yet, it seems that with Harry Potter, you left your senses behind. You've shown him Hell first-hand."

A fire bloomed in Aerith's eyes. She imperiously strode up to Rufus and slapped him, snapping his head to the side. "And what of the children of Corel? Of Gongaga? Of Nibelheim? How many children have Shinra shown Hell first-hand?"

Rufus merely met her gaze, and said, "I was the first.(3) So drop your self-righteous demeanour, Aerith. AVALANCHE is just a gathering of malcontents, terrorists, and freaks, and…"

Rufus suddenly heard an angry scream, and collapsed to the ground, winded. Harry Potter wasn't strong, but anger had lent him the strength he needed to punch Rufus hard in the stomach. He then began to kick at Rufus, though his youth and relative physical weakness meant that he could bruise at best. "Do NOT call me a FREAK! You're like them! JUST LIKE THEM! My so-called FAMILY! They called my parents freaks and drunks who deserved to die in a car crash! But they were heroes who died fighting a monster like YOU!"

Barrett, having finally come out of his shock at seeing the ten-year old react so violently, dragged Harry away. "Stop it, Harry! Dammit, stop it!"

Aerith helped the gasping and gagging Rufus to his feet. "A little advice, Rufus. Do _not_ say the word freak in Harry's earshot, particularly in a context that might include him as a freak. He doesn't like it. If it makes you feel any better, I'd believe that you were including Harry and I with the malcontents."

Rufus managed to regain enough of his senses to glare at Aerith, before the _Highwind_ shuddered gently, and began to move. "_Yeehaw!_" came the voice of Cid over a PA system. "_This is your captain speakin'. We're about to depart Junon, so if you'd hang on tight so you don't look like a bloody idiot. Unless you do look like one already, in which case, keep up the good work!_"

Aerith smiled sweetly at Rufus, before going over to Harry, who was now weeping and crying in Barrett's arms. Vincent was keeping guard on Rufus, and only he saw the faint expression come over Rufus' face as he looked at Harry, an expression that vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. If Vincent didn't know any better, Rufus seemed to know what Harry was going through…

* * *

Last night, Harry had dreamed a memory. Well, not so much a dream as it was a nightmare, made all the more horrifying because he was certain it was real. He'd had it before, or at least variations on it. It was only now that he knew what it was: a memory.

He didn't remember all of it. Not all of the details. He remembered a voice- his father- yelling, "Go, Lily! I'll hold him off!"

Then, a cold, high voice yelling "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" The anguished wail of his mother. Then, a quiet chant from his mother, finished just before the voice spoke again. "Lily Potter."

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry…"

He could see them now, vaguely, through the eyes of his one-year old self. His mother, with fiery hair and eyes as green as Aerith's. And the man in the hooded cloak, red eyes glinting malevolently from within the shadows. His mother was shielding his cot with her body.

"Stand aside, you silly girl," said the hooded man. Voldemort. He raised his wand. "Stand aside now."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead…" Voldemort made as if to push her aside, only for her to grab his shoulders. "Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"

Voldemort merely laughed beneath his hood, and cried out with a sneer, "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Green light strobed, and his mother sagged to the ground.

"Stupid bitch," Voldemort muttered quietly, knowing the only person who could hear him was an infant. "Severus will be disappointed. But he will live with it. Or he can join her in death.(4)" He then stood over the cot, and looked down at Harry. A curious look came across the visible part of Voldemort's features. Contempt and hatred were there, but so was a wistful look, something of nostalgia. As if for a moment, Voldemort, he of the shattered soul and with no feelings for another creature, showed a shadow of empathy. Or perhaps, in Harry, he was looking into a mirror, a mirror of a life he could have had, under different circumstances.

"It's a shame to waste one such as you. But I cannot countenance any potential rivals, even if they are still infants." A low chuckle of triumph began in his throat, rising in pitch to a cackle, his wand beginning to glow green. "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

Pain. Burning pain washed across his forehead, searing the scar into his head. And even the rest of it was a jumble of images. The sensation of something hitting his scar, and scrabbling into it, like a rat scrabbling into a corpse. A man, who sounded so familiar (Pafoo?), crying out in anguish. A larger, booming voice, but equally scratchy with grief. A million other images, sounds, smells and sensations, all mashed up.

And then, he had woken up.

He cried into Barrett's muscled chest. Everything had been going so fast, and he hadn't had that much time to think about it. Nor did he have the inclination to. But seeing Jenova shift into a vicious monster, slaughtering those troopers…okay, those troopers were the enemy, but Rufus wanted them alive. And as nasty as Rufus was, Harry wasn't sure that those troopers deserved to die.

Even Barrett, with his hatred of Shinra, was staring at the bodies in horror. "Damn bitch," he murmured to himself.

"Harry," Aerith said, coming over to the boy. "It's not your fault."

"But…if she hadn't infected me…" Harry began.

"Did you kill them? No, you didn't. Did you want Jenova in your head? No, you didn't. Do you think we hate you because of that?"

"Of course, we don't!" Barrett snarled. He hauled Harry up by his shoulders, bringing the boy to eye level. "Harry, kid, don't let anyone say you're bad. You ain't done enough to think that way, no matter what those bastard relatives told you. If I ever met them, I'd make sure they felt how you did! I'd rather die than hurt Marlene, and she ain't even my real daughter! Even Cloud ain't so bad! He needed a smack upside his spiky head every once in a while, but he ain't a bad guy!"

The sound of slow and sardonic clapping reached their ears, and they turned to see Rufus Shinra sneering. "Bravo," he said. "Any other stirring motivational speeches, Mr Wallace?"

Before Barrett could rebuke Rufus, the _Highwind_ shuddered. Then, a familiar cackle echoed over the PA. "_Kya ha ha! Going somewhere? This is Scarlet of Shinra. By my order, the_ Highwind _is to land and shut down at once, all passengers and crew will disembark, or I will open fire._"

Nanaki, Aerith and Harry rushed to the bridge area, with Barrett soon following, escorting Rufus. Vincent helped the hunched-over Yuffie to her feet, and helped her along.

* * *

To their surprise, they saw that Cait Sith was amongst the people on the bridge, having apparently come on board. One of the technicians was at the radio. "…is still on board, ma'am!" He turned and saw Rufus. "Sir! Scarlet won't listen to me! Please, whoever you are, just have the President talk to her!"

Barrett shoved Rufus to the microphone, and Rufus grabbed it. "This is President Rufus Shinra."

"**_Former_**_ President, I think you will find_," purred Scarlet's voice.

Rufus frowned. "What? Scarlet, I have no time for your insolence or your delusions, you cackling harpy! I order you to stand down and get the fighters to escort the Highwind back to the airport."

"_Oh, I don't think so. Under Clause 26, Paragraph 10 of Section 87 of the Shinra Executive Rules(__5)__, 'any executive who finds evidence that the President has been compromised by an outside entity may, if they wish and with a majority vote of the other executives, assume the Presidency of Shinra Inc in place of the compromised President'. Your father put this in place after your little dalliance with AVALANCHE. The original version, led by that daughter of the Turk traitor, Veld(__6)__. He trusted me, you see. I was willing to go along with you, and see if you measured up. But not only do you treat me with contempt, you stuck-up brat, but you have been compromised._"

As if to cut off any dispute, a recording started to play. That of Jenova, during their confrontation yesterday. "_Sooner or later, the Jenova cells within you will strengthen enough to overcome your impressive but futile defences. It's only a matter of time, Rufus Shinra. And you won't be able to find a cure in time._"

Rufus' eyes widened, and he smashed his fist down on the comms desk. "I was able to resist her! The _Highwind_ is unarmed, you can escort the airship back without any trouble! Do not cross me, Scarlet! You will live to regret it!"

"_The funny thing is, I __**will **__live to regret it. Whereas if the_ Highwind _does not land at the count of ten, I will open fire. Do you hear me, Cid? I know you're there. Land the_ Highwind _now, or I'll blow you out of the sky. Ten!_"

"She's not bluffing," Rufus hissed. "That traitorous bitch isn't bluffing."

Harry closed his eyes. Wasn't there something that could get them out of this?

"_Nine!_"

"She wants to shoot us anyway," Cid snarled.

"_Eight!_"

"The _Highwind_ will take longer than ten seconds to land," Cid said. "We'll have to make a break for it."

"_Seven! By all means, try! Six! Our gunners need practise hitting a moving target!_"

"Sir! Radar contact!" one of the technicians yelled.

"_Five!_"

"Too big to be a missile," the technician continued. "Too irregularly shaped as well to be a plane!"

"_Four!_"

"It's heading for Junon, not away from it!"

Jenova's eyes widened. "Weapon! It's a Weapon!"

"_Three!_"

Cid yelled at the other crew members. "Let's get the hell outta here! If it is a Weapon…"

"_Two! It won't save you! One! OPEN FIRE!_"

Suddenly, the _Highwind_ rocked. But not from an explosion. Something vast sped past the airship at a ridiculous velocity. Harry rushed to the railing to watch it. The creature was one of the ones he had glimpsed emerging from the Crater during their escape. It was both vaguely draconic, and centaur-like, like a dragon with four legs, two arms, and two wings. Dark purple in colour. It bellowed its fury and rage as it fired a blast of energy at Junon.

Then, the _Highwind_ lurched as the crew had it speeding away from Junon. The airship rocked and rolled as rounds from Junon's defences hit it. Not as much as was aimed at the Weapon. But they still ended up damaged. But they were alive, and fleeing Junon as fast as they could.

* * *

"So, where to next?" Barrett asked. AVALANCHE, plus Jenova and Rufus, were gathered in the briefing room of the _Highwind_, an opulent boardroom in miniature.

Rufus, surprisingly, was taking Scarlet's betrayal well. Oh, he was furious and livid inside, but he stayed outwardly calm. "We need a place to lay low for the moment. Somewhere outside the usual purview of Shinra, until we figure out what to do. I think I know just the place."

"And where's that?" Barrett asked suspiciously.

Rufus gave a look at Cait Sith, before saying, "Mideel. A quiet hot springs town to the south-east, surrounded by jungle. Not even a Mako Reactor. And we'll have to make it quick."

"Why? What's the hurry, big Shinra-Man?" Barrett asked sarcastically.

Rufus gave a rather acid smile, before activating a screen on the wall. "So…that's the sky, I don't get it," Yuffie said, somewhat woozily.

"Notice anything strange about it?"

Aerith frowned, before her eyes widened in fear. "Oh, no."

"Hang a moment," Barrett said, his brows furrowing. "Why the hell are there two suns?"

"That's not another sun," Harry murmured in horror. "That's _Meteor._"

"Exactly. We've got maybe three weeks at most before it hits us. I will settle accounts with AVALANCHE later, but for now, I think Meteor is a greater concern, don't you think?" Rufus asked. "We're not going to Mideel for a holiday. We're going to Mideel to figure out how to stop Sephiroth and Meteor."

* * *

On the sandy shores not far from Mideel, a trio of bodies had washed up. One was a blonde-haired, muscled man in his twenties. The second was a similarly aged woman with dark hair and an ample bosom. Their hands were locked together in a death grip, though both were alive, if not in a good way.

The third was considerably more active. Dressed in clothes that were now little more than rags, his haggard, pale face was framed by messy, lank black hair, his sunken eyes glinting with something not quite madness.

He looked over his two companions with some confusion, before turning his attention to some people further up the shore. For a moment, he considered fleeing, as he had, after all, was now a fugitive. But he hoped that what he had been told was true. That here, in this world, he wasn't seen as a criminal, that he technically didn't exist at all. Where he could start a new life with the one person who mattered to him.

"Hey, over here! We need help!" he yelled in a cracked, rasping voice, long disused save for screams and moans. The people began running towards him, and he was relieved to see concern on their faces, rather than fear.

Prongs was dead. Moony had thought him a traitor. And Wormtail…_was_ a traitor. Now he was alone. But he hoped not to be for long. She had given him a chance to fulfil his duties as a godfather. Now he had to find him.

_Pup_, Sirius Black thought to himself, looking around the strange, tropical shore. _Where are you?_

**CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Wow. This was a difficult one to write. I thought it was just a touch too easy for AVALANCHE to escape Junon in the game, and the only explanation I could think of was Sapphire Weapon's attack drained Shinra's resources enough to stop them from using everything they could to stop the Highwind. It wasn't my intention, originally, to have Rufus join AVALANCHE, or to have Scarlet take over. They occurred to me as I was writing the chapter, as did the Ultima Weapon attack (I personally use 'Ultima Weapon' to describe the creature, and 'Ultimate Weapon' for Cloud's weapon). Yes, it's a bit of an asspull, but Sapphire Weapon also attacks just in time, and Ultima Weapon's attack could have happened before Sapphire Weapon's. And yes, it ****_is_**** Ultima Weapon attacking Junon.**

**As for the cliffhanger, oh, I am wicked. :P Sirius Black has arrived on the Planet, near Tifa and Cloud. I sort of fudged the arrival date. In the game, Cloud is said to have washed up near Mideel about a week ago, thus he ended up at Mideel within a day after the incident at the Crater. Because this is the second day after Meteor is summoned, there's a slight difference. But it's no problem, right?**

**1\. Jenova's form here is meant to be not unlike the Lifeform Hojo boss from the game, only instead of floating and having a sort of tail, she has legs and is capable of running. I thought of her turning into a massive monster like the previous Jenova creatures, or something like Eve from the ****_Parasite Eve_**** games, but I decided that this Jenova would prefer a form that was elegant and graceful, though no less deadly.**

**2\. I couldn't resist this pun on the title of the famous manga series.**

**3\. A hint at Rufus' past, which we will see in later chapters. We don't know much about Rufus's past, beyond his involvement with the original, more extremist version of AVALANCHE, in ****_Before Crisis_****.**

**4\. My adding dialogue here isn't exactly canon. I took much of the dialogue verbatim from Chapter 9 of ****_The Prisoner of Azkaban_****, when Harry, under the influence of the Dementors, hears his mother and Voldemort. However, some dialogue I added myself. Voldemort muttering about Snape to himself is an invention, as is his almost nostalgic look at Harry. As Dumbledore himself says, Voldemort chose to attack Harry because he saw a lot of himself in Harry. Ironically enough, Harry would probably come closer in many regards to Tom Riddle than he would have had Riddle not attacked. If you're wondering how Harry can recall this, remember that Jenova is a master of manipulating memory. This isn't to say she faked it: she's done the equivalent of 'image enhancement' on the last moments of the Potters to see what happened for herself. Unfortunately, that means that Harry will get a more vivid nightmare memory of that night as well. But it will also prove to be an interesting point when Harry meets Snape for the first time, or at least once he learns his first name.**

**5\. Those numbers actually correspond to the 26****th**** of October, 1987, the transmission date of the final episode of ****_Doctor Who: Paradise Towers_**** (an underrated story, IMO, though this is partially due to the way it was made, as opposed to what it could have been). In this final episode, the bureaucratic Deputy Chief Caretaker is confronted by the Chief Caretaker, possessed by an evil alien intelligence. The Chief Caretaker demands that the Deputy obey him in his orders, but the Deputy, though scared and entrenched in following rules, claims that there's a section of the rulebook that means that if the Chief is no longer the Chief, he doesn't have to obey him (and scarpers as soon as he says this). I sort of switched the concept around, so that it's the villainous Scarlet using it against Rufus. Given what happened in Before Crisis, it's not surprising if President Shinra had this put in place, albeit for his loyal followers to use against Rufus if necessary. I did have Heidegger and Scarlet turning on Rufus much later in the story originally, in the aftermath of the Diamond Weapon attack on Midgar (Rufus was to have survived, but was trapped, and Heidegger, having had enough of Rufus, decided to try and kill him), but this opportunity was too good to ignore.**

**6\. Another reference to the events of ****_Before Crisis_****. Veld is thought dead by Scarlet, but is still alive, presumably, by the events of this story.**

**CHAPTER 15 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Rufus Catches Them In the Act****: ****_Shinra, Inc_****. (FTG)**

**Jenova: KILLER****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and the Black Mages. I love this version of the theme.**

**DON'T CALL THEM FREAKS!****: ****_Those Who Fight_**** (FTG).**

**Scarlet's Threats****: ****_Hurry Faster!_**** (FTG)**

**Weapon Attacks!****: ****_Weapon Raid_**** (FTG).**

**Let's Go!:****_The Highwind Takes to the Skies_**** (FTG).**

**That's No Sun****: ****_Those Chosen By the Planet_**** (FTG).**


	19. Episode 4 News and Preview

**EPISODE 4 NEWS AND PREVIEW**

I've posted Episode 3: Guests of Shinra, for your (hopefully) reading pleasure. Episode 4: Mideel Malaise, one of the best ones yet, has been finished, and Episode 5 (working title: Picking Up the Pieces) has been started, with the first (albeit unfinished) chapter having surprising revelations about more than one of the characters, as well as a surprise appearance by another character from the universe of _Final Fantasy VII_.

I've decided, given the structure of how things have turned out so far, that there will be seven episodes to this 'book' of Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage. The fifth episode will cover both the 'memory repair' sequence, as well as the last two Huge Materia. Episode 6 will deal with Shinra's downfall. Episode 7 will deal with the final confrontation with Sephiroth, and the destruction of Meteor. These aren't set in stone, and if necessary, there will be more episodes in this book.

The next book will deal with at least the events of _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. How much further I go from that will depend on my motivation. And please keep in mind that I may not be updating as frequently as I used to. The fast updates of the past little while were flukes, especially with me working on my _Borderlands 2_ fanfic, _Hooked on a Feeling_.

First, I'll answer the reviews I got since posting Episode 2…

**BoredomPersonified:** Harry is more of a catalyst, causing changes to the _Final Fantasy VII_ story. He won't take a more prominent position until we get to Hogwarts, but he is still important to the story. But this story is also about giving other characters a chance to shine. The Turks, for example, get a very badass moment in Chapter 18.

As for your comment about Luna, well, most of the wizards of Earth have Cetra blood in them. The Cetra Heritage is the magical gene. But your comment did give me an interesting idea, and once Harry reaches Hogwarts (should I make it far enough), it will be revealed.

Of course Materia will be brought over into the Wizarding World. In fact, because they're worried about Harry coming to harm from Voldemort's remnants, AVALANCHE specifically gives him the Final Attack and Phoenix Materia. What others are brought over, we will see.

Will the summons be given backstories? Well, in the game, they aren't. I gave them personalities, though. I don't think I will be giving them detailed backstories, though Knights of the Round, which I am trying to put into the story, will have a backstory.

**Mangahero18**: Thank you for your kind words. However, I will also answer your suggestions and questions…

1\. I considered a Harry/Marlene pairing for all of a few seconds. Marlene is three at the time of _Final Fantasy VII_, while Harry is about seven years her senior. They will be friends, like siblings maybe, but anything further than that is NOT going to happen.

2\. It's worth noting that Barrett does go through something of an arc in the game, and he needed the consequences pointed out to him. Dyne was the start of Barrett's self-realization. Remember, after Dyne dies, he says that he's worried that his own hands are too blood-stained to hold Marlene. I wanted to make him into a somewhat more nuanced character, something I wanted to do with many of the characters.

3\. I don't think Rowling ever elucidated whether Grindlewald was actually Dumbledore's out-and-out lover, or whether they had (at the time) a platonic gay relationship. I chose the former, simply because it's so prevalent in fanon, but whether that is what Rowling had in mind is another matter.

4\. Harry won't become a grey character, or at least he'll be a fairly light shade of grey. He won't be the (relatively) innocent boy who goes to Hogwarts in canon: he has fought for his life already. But he's also a decent person. Jenova's character arc will be somewhat interesting. I decided I wanted her as a character active in the story, and while that meant dispelling the mystery around her somewhat, I think the revelation at the start of Episode 5 may be worth it. And yes, she will shake things up. And things will shake her up.

5\. In my view, Cait Sith is mostly autonomous, but Reeve can take control of him when he wants.

**Asherit:** I am glad that my fanfic made you want to play the game again. I had actually started writing this fanfic after I got the Steam version of the game. I'm currently up to what would be the final disc on the PS1 version. The game is one of those that you do want to experience again and again.

**Jedi Master Albus** (who posted his review after I posted Episode 3, and whom I am replying to now): Yes, I screwed up with the order of Dumbledore's many names on the letter. I corrected them once I saw your review. I got it right in a previous chapter, though.

Okay. Now it's time for the preview. Instead of the _Doctor Who_ series 4 theme, I will choose another track from the series: _All the Strange, Strange Creatures_.

Episode 4 preview away!

* * *

_Scarlet looked at her operatives. "We still have Marlene Wallace and Elmyra Gainsborough in our custody at Kalm, do we not?"_

_"I think I get where you're coming from. We go to Kalm, bring them here, and tell AVALANCHE to come out of hiding, or they get killed?"_

_"An interesting idea. But no. I want you to kill them."_

* * *

_A group of Shinra troopers entered the alley, but Rude sent a Blizzaga spell their way, a wall of ice sealing up the alley's entrance. As the three began running along the alleys, Elmyra said, "I thought you were with Shinra!"_

_"We are with Shinra! Rufus Shinra!" Elena panted. "Scarlet has instituted a coup d'etat! She wanted you two killed to get Barrett and Aerith out of hiding!" As they ran out of the alley, a couple of Shinra troopers spotted her. She sent a Firaga spell in their direction, scattering them like bowling pins._

* * *

_"So, in summary, you're a fugitive for a crime you claim you didn't commit," Rufus said after Sirius was finished. "You're Harry's godfather, and was brought here from another world by the deity of this Planet." Putting a hand to his head, he said, "Yes, why not? This day has already been insane enough. These past few weeks have. What's another insane thing to add to the list?"_

* * *

_Scarlet burst into the board room, where Palmer, Reeve, and Heidegger were looking at her, understandably apprehensively. She strode towards her target, grabbed him by the neck, and began to squeeze._

_"Scarlet…" Reeve choked. "You're choking…me…"_

_"That is the idea," she hissed. "I'm downsizing the board, starting with your windpipe!" As the Urban Development Planner of Shinra gagged, and the other two members of the board watched on, Scarlet snarled, "Oh, I've wanted to do this for a long time, Reeve. You with your stupid little morals and qualms and your toys. A grown man, playing with toys! You should've realised long ago that to get anywhere in Shinra, you should've left your morals at the door! But you didn't, you piss-weak little man! You should've taken the initiative to kill Rufus at Mideel, but no, you're too weak, even through your toy."_

* * *

_Tifa looked around, before her eyes focused on Sirius. "I…I must be still hallucinating from the Mako poisoning. I don't know this guy."_

_"Well, you are in 'Sirius' trouble," Sirius said with a smile and a bow. "Sirius Black, Ladies' Man, Fugitive, and Godfather to Harry. A very long story, and I'm afraid I'm no hallucination."_

* * *

_Aerith peered out of the window. She recognised the familiar draconian shape. "It's Weapon. It's the same Weapon that attacked Junon when we were escaping! But why is it here?"_

_For once, they saw complete and utter terror on Jenova's face. The monster from another world, the mother of monsters, and the one responsible for wiping out most of the Cetra, was afraid for her life. "It's me," she said quietly, her voice almost lost over the belligerent roaring of the Weapon outside. "The Weapon…it has come for me."_

* * *

**_I do not understand. There are people dying all over your world, some younger than the boy, and yet, you care not for them_**.

_The Weapon's words hit her hard. But Aerith gritted her teeth_. But do you? Do you care for anything?

**_Only my purpose. I am Weapon. My purpose is all that matters_**_._

Then I pity you, _Aerith said_. But if it is a choice between you killing Harry and Cloud, and anyone else who has the taint of Jenova through no fault of their own, and my opposing you, well, there is no choice_._

_The colour leeched back into the world, as did time and movement. Ultima Weapon, however, had more to say before attacking. __**Then you are a traitor to the Planet, and to your people. And you **__**will**__** be destroyed**__._


	20. Chapter 16: Sirius Matters

**EPISODE 4:**

**MIDEEL MALAISE**

_We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly, we will all hang separately._

_-Attributed to Benjamin Franklin_

**CHAPTER 16:**

**SIRIUS MATTERS**

_Sometime earlier_…

To say a place was Hell on Earth was a cliché so often used, people often forgot what it meant. Appellations of this kind were appended to places ranging from the harshest deserts to the coldest tundra. Prisons were popularly given this sort of name. But one that was perhaps one of the closest to emulating Hell on Earth was Azkaban.

To most people, the word Azkaban would mean little. But to the magical community of the United Kingdom, it was a name spoken of in awe, fear, and dread. A pimple of an island in the frigid seas off Britain's coast, isolated and cold. There were worse prisons in the Magical World (Nurmengard, the legendary prison of Grindlewald, for example), and even some in the mundane world, but Azkaban was close to the top.

Even before it became a prison for Wizarding Britain, it had been the lair of one of the darkest of wizards, Ekrizdis. His name isn't known to many modern wizards, but in his time, he was feared, using Azkaban as a fortress to lure Muggle sailors to the concealed island to torture and experiment on. Only with his death did the charms concealing the island fall, and the Ministry investigated. To this day, it's not known exactly what happened(1).

The thing that made Azkaban truly awful was not the cold or the isolation, or its dark and obscure history. It was the guards. Dementors, hideous wraith-like beings who were said to grow from dark and decaying places, creatures who existed to suck good feelings from anyone near their influence. The Ministry of Magic trusted them enough to remain as guards, but truth be told, the Dementors had no loyalties, save to themselves. They stayed as guards and wardens of Azkaban only because it meant they could feed off the feelings of prisoners.

And, occasionally, feed off their souls. For the Wizarding World, the ultimate penalty was the Dementor's Kiss, whereby the Dementor would consume the soul of the malcontent. The condemned would still be alive, but they would be in a condition where they would envy a vegetable. A vessel, even emptier than the Dementors themselves, capable of breathing, and virtually nothing else.

The Ministry of Magic was keen to stamp out any rumours that Dementors had fed on souls without permission. The truth was, however, that having the Dementors as guards of Azkaban was a Mephistophelean deal. If they ever received a better offer, they'd be gone in a trice.

The prisoners of Azkaban counted as their number the infamous. Many of them were Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's fanatical supporters. A few had gone to Azkaban cheerfully holding onto their loyalty for the Dark Lord, such as the Lestranges, noted for torturing Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity with the Cruciatus curse, right in front of their son. Others had gone to Azkaban protesting their innocence, like Barty Crouch Jr, who had apparently died a year after his incarceration. The true story was another matter entirely, but not of concern here. However, his protestations of innocence were somewhat disingenuous.

There was, however, at least one innocent man in Azkaban. A man whose mistakes had cost him his friends, his reputation, and his freedom, all within a few days. Sent to this Hell on Earth, without trial, and he was resigned to the fact that he would never receive one. Barely sane, wholly innocent, but considered the greatest blackguard in Azkaban. A ragged man with hollow eyes, long hair and beard that was wild, and thin.

His name was Sirius Black.

He had long since given up on a miracle allowing him to escape Azkaban, to track down that traitorous rat Pettigrew, and to be there for his godson. But on this cold January of 1991, he got a miracle.

The last Dementor patrol had passed. Sirius had shifted, as was his wont to do, into his animagus form, a large black dog that could easily be mistaken for the feared Grim of lore. It helped stave off some of the worst of the Dementor's effects. That, and focusing on his innocence. He curled up, and went to sleep.

He had hoped not to dream. It was either nightmares, or else dreams of the past that may as well have been. It was so painful to see James and Lily as they were, alive and laughing, before everything went wrong.

But tonight, something very different happened.

It was so strange. He seemed adrift in a luminous green sea. For a moment, it seemed like the green of the Killing Curse. But then, there was something about this light that was warm and vital, not like the cold and callous light of _Avada Kedavra_. Ribbons of light curled and danced around him in a never-ending waltz.

_Well_, he thought to himself, _this isn't so bad. A bit boring though. Where're the hot women?_

"Be careful what you wish for, Sirius Black," spoke a serene, female voice. And then, a blonde woman, dressed in elegant armour, appeared. "You may get it."

Sirius blinked. "You're in full armour. Disappointing. My mind must really be going, I thought my fantasy women would be in a bit more of a state of…_deshabille_?"

The woman gave a rather tight smile. "I am not your fantasy, Sirius Black. I would suggest that you rein in your tongue, lest this be your final fantasy(2)."

Sirius held up his hands in surrender. He had learned over the years (through painful experience, often involving feet connecting with his genitals) when not to cross the line. "Okay, okay. So, scary armoured dream woman, is there a point to this? Not that I'm complaining about this. It's better than the dreams I usually get here."

"This…is not a dream, strictly speaking. Your mind is in a dream state, but it has also called out to me. Or rather, to someone I helped save recently. His fate is connected to yours. And your magic, barely there, has still called out. Just enough to prove yourself worthy of the Goddess' Gate."

"The Goddess' Gate? And who are you, then?"

"My name is Minerva."

Sirius' eyes widened. "What? Professor, is that you?(3)"

At this, the armoured woman chuckled. "No. I am not your former teacher, though from your memories of her, she is indeed a formidable woman, worthy of my name. No, I am Minerva, the Goddess of the Cetra."

"The Cetra?" A story, half-remembered from his childhood, came to mind. "The Cetra, as in the Great Exodus?"

"Indeed. In many of your people, the Cetra Heritage flows strong. Of course, that has given rise to the deplorable actions of Voldemort and other blood-purists. But this is not what I have come to you for. One of my children had cried out to me to come home, and I granted him his wish. However, he is in danger, and when you called out to me, Sirius Black, it seemed to be fate. After all, you are sworn to help him, to protect him."

For a moment, Sirius didn't understand. But then, he muttered, almost disbelievingly, "Prongslet? Pup? _Harry?_"

"Indeed." Minerva then told him. About Dumbledore's actions, about his well-meant plan, and how it backfired. About the horcrux. About the world Harry had ended up in. About Jenova, Sephiroth, and Shinra.

At the end of it, Sirius wasn't sure who he wanted to throttle most. Voldemort, for nearly putting Harry under a death sentence with the unintentional horcrux, Dumbledore, for leaving Harry with the Dursleys, or Sephiroth, who was even now endangering Harry.

"The Jenova being with Harry is still a concern. And yet…" Minerva seemed, uncharacteristically, uncertain of herself. "And yet, there is something within her, something more than the monster she once was. And for the moment, her goals are the same as that of Harry and his friends. The defeat of Sephiroth. Will you help Harry?"

Sirius grinned, painfully. "Do you even need to ask?"

"Good. I will bring you to my world, the world where your ancestors came from. Two unfortunates had fallen into the Lifestream, and have only just emerged. You will be at a place called Mideel. There will be few on that world who know of you. I cannot tell Harry or Aerith in advance of your innocence, for they are out of my reach at this moment. But tell them Minerva sent you, and you will get their attention. Vow on your magic. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good luck, then." Suddenly, the green ribbons of light seemed to whirl around him, contracting and shrinking around him…

* * *

_Later…_

Sirius sat in the clinic, getting checked over by the doctor, a grey-haired man with a moustache and a kindly demeanour. "Well, you're not in great condition. What happened to you, anyway?"

Sirius considered his answer, before he said, "Got imprisoned by some bastards. They didn't bother feeding me much. I could barely stay sane."

"Hmmph. Must've been like Corel. You look like a Corel Desert Prison escapee, but you can't be. You're far too pale, you'd be tanned out in the desert. Why were you imprisoned?"

"They claimed I betrayed someone I hadn't. I was kept locked up for years. Doctor, what about the other two?"

"Them? So you don't know them?"

"I haven't met them before, but I do know of them. I was told who they were. I woke up next to them on the shore. I guess it was luck more than anything else. But I've never seen anything like that."

"You've never seen Mako Poisoning? Well, it _is_ rare." The doctor went over to the other two beds, where two people were lying down. "All that information locked up within the Lifestream has gone through their heads. The girl is more responsive. A moment ago, she was briefly lucid enough to speak coherently. But the man is pretty bad."

Sirius sat up, and looked over at his fellow patients. Both were in their twenties. The woman had long dark hair, a heart-shaped face, a rather impressive bust (and Sirius was a connoisseur of such things), and an athletic body. The young man was muscled, with spiky blond hair. Minerva had told him their names. Tifa, and Cloud.

"Are they going to be all right?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. Sometimes, all that's needed is time. The girl is capable of lucidity, so she might recover completely. But the young man…I don't know. I honestly don't know…"

* * *

After some checks, Sirius was allowed to leave the clinic at long last, although he promised to come back. But he was troubled. The doctor hadn't heard of anyone called 'Harry Potter'. Of course, if this was a new world, the kid could be anywhere within it.

It was then that he saw a rather strange group enter the village. A number of people, a mountain lion, a cat riding a…rotund white thing, a blue-skinned woman with silvery hair, and…a boy. A boy who looked so much like Prongs. But he looked too young, far too young. Small and skinny and scrawny. But there was no mistaking that messy black mop of hair, and those green eyes peering out. And that scar, half-hidden by his hair. He had seen said scar when it had been fresh.

It was all he could do not to run over and hug him. Instead, he called out, "Over here!"

The group, warily, approached him. The brown-haired woman with the eyes of Lily Potter came forward first. "Can I help you?"

"I think it's the other way around. Minerva brought me here. Your two friends are at the clinic. You're Aerith Gainsborough, right?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you…how did you speak to Minerva?"

"Long story. I come from…Harry's world. Minerva brought me here. Look, you know Cloud and Tifa? They're at the clinic. Come on."

* * *

As Aerith fussed around the catatonic bodies of Cloud and Tifa, Sirius found himself next to Harry. The others were discussing the condition of Cloud and Tifa with the clinic's doctor, and only the blonde man in the white suit (Merlin, he looked so much like a Malfoy) and the blue-skinned woman remained. They introduced themselves as Rufus Shinra and Jenova respectively. Harry was shooting strange looks at Sirius. Eventually, he asked, "Who are you?"

Sirius sighed. He had been dreading this. But best to get it over and done with. "Sirius Black."

Harry's eyes widened, and Rufus raised an eyebrow. "The betrayer of the Potters in Dumbledore's letter?" the man asked.

"No, it wasn't me! It was the rat, Pettigrew!"

Harry, staring, said, quietly, "You're lying."

Sirius laughed quietly, a bitter sound. "I know, I know. You don't believe me. It's not like I have proof. I don't know where the rat scampered off to. But…they sent me off to Azkaban without trial. They didn't even try to interrogate me under Veritaserum." Sirius sat down, heavily, before turning to Rufus. "Don't suppose you have anything like that? You know, a truth serum or something?"

"No," the man admitted. "Nothing reliable."

Sirius then remembered what Minerva said. "Okay, well, I forgot about Magical Vows. I, Sirius Orion Black, do hereby swear on my magic that I did not betray the Potters to Lord Voldemort. So mote it be." A flare of magical energy briefly surrounded him.

Harry blinked. "And that means, what?"

"Harry…a vow on your magic is not to be taken lightly. If you break such a vow, you end up losing your magic, becoming a Squib. That's someone born to magical parents without magic. And in any case, if I wanted to kill you, I could have done so easily by now."

"He's not so easy to kill," Aerith said, moving away from Cloud and Tifa. "He's helped us fight many monsters." She looked Sirius up and down, before finally saying, "Maybe you are telling the truth."

"Aerith?" Harry asked.

"Minerva brought you here to be away from the Dursleys. Why bring Sirius Black, and not, say, Dumbledore?" Aerith asked.

"Well, there's an easier way to tell if he's telling the truth than your laboured deductions," purred Jenova. "I can infect him, and look at his memories."

"Jenova, how much of _your_ word can we trust?" Aerith said pointedly. She then looked at Sirius. "I know little of your story. I suggest you begin telling it. Right now."

* * *

"…and that's how it was. Until your Minerva showed up."

Harry stared at the man who was…his godfather. He couldn't be certain whether the man was a traitor. Not now. His story…it sounded fantastical. But was it no less fantastical than the adventure he was going on? He couldn't know for sure, not yet, but there were a few things in Sirus' favour. There was the fact that there was a pleading, and yet a resignation in the man's face. Harry couldn't quite identify these emotions, even given that he had displayed these emotions himself during his time at the Dursleys'. But he knew that Sirius was hoping to be believed, but knew that he may not be.

Of course, there was somewhat better proof: Sirius was an animagus, able to shift at will into an animal. He turned into a large, if somewhat smelly, black dog briefly, surprising them all. Back home, not registering this ability was illegal, but he claimed that Peter Pettigrew could turn into a rat, and that Harry's own father, James, could turn into a stag.

And then, there was the look in his face when he discussed the horcrux. A follower of Voldemort would have been more angry, at least with Harry, but Sirius seemed to be more angry at Voldemort and Dumbledore. He had even turned to Jenova, and said, "I suppose I owe you my thanks for removing that bloody thing."

"Not necessary. It wasn't too bad a meal. More than a little bitter, though," Jenova had said with a smirk. "I wonder how these Dementor things you mentioned taste. It'd appeal to the connoisseur in me."

That put a plank across the tracks of that particular conversation. Sirius, his eyes wide, had muttered something about Jenova 'being just like Bella(4)', before changing the subject.

"So, in summary, you're a fugitive for a crime you claim you didn't commit," Rufus said after Sirius was finished. "You're Harry's godfather, and was brought here from another world by the deity of this Planet." Putting a hand to his head, he said, "Yes, why not? This day has already been insane enough. These past few weeks have. What's another insane thing to add to the list?" Calming himself visibly, he eventually said, "I think we've wasted enough time. We need to start planning how to deal with Sephiroth, and Scarlet."

"And, pray tell, who appointed you leader?" Jenova purred dangerously.

"Would you rather Mr Wallace be in charge? I'd sooner have Highwind in charge. Insolent and foul-mouthed though he might be, he is actually capable of gaining respect from others, including me. In any case, the matter of leadership is irrelevant. What matters most is stopping Sephiroth and Meteor, as well as Scarlet. She won't let this matter rest. I know what she'll do next. I only hope that I am right about who she'll send to kill us…"

**CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Sirius and AVALANCHE have finally met. Harry and Aerith are, of course, wary around him, and even his magical vow hasn't completely convinced them. But they are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt…for now.**

**1\. This is something I discovered while researching Dementors and Azkaban on the Harry Potter Wiki. Apparently JK Rowling posted this interesting little tidbit about Azkaban's history on Pottermore.**

**2\. Sorry, couldn't resist this. :P**

**3\. Professor McGonagall's first name is, of course, Minerva. I don't know whether I will explore a possible connection later in the story.**

**4\. Bella being Bellatrix Lestrange, of course. Only Jenova would find the prospect of eating a Dementor interesting. Then again, who knows where the souls that Dementors eat end up?**

**CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Azkaban****: ****_Evil Malaise_****, from ****_Resident Evil 4_****, composed by Shusaku Uchiyama and Misao Senbogi. Very creepy and atmospheric, perfect for Azkaban.**

**Why So Sirius?****: ****_Auron's Theme_****, from ****_Final Fantasy X Remastered_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, remixed by Junya Nakano. In a way, I thought Auron and Sirius had some things alike, though I was convinced this theme fit Sirius better.**

**Mideel Malaise****: ****_From the Edge of Despair_**** (FTG). This little number plays when you deal with Cloud in Mideel. It's a bit whimsical given the title and the context, but I've added it here.**


	21. Chapter 17: Making Plans

**CHAPTER 17:**

**MAKING PLANS**

Scarlet was a woman of no small pride, ambition, and malice. It was qualities such as these that allowed her to rise to the top of Weapons R&amp;D at Shinra. That, and her intelligence. Anyone who claimed that she slept her way to the top often ended up facing the brunt of her wrath. In fact, while she used her sexuality quite well, actually sleeping with her superiors was another matter. She wasn't stupid, and she had her pride.

Besides, she had standards, and who was there to sleep with amongst the executives? The late President Shinra, Palmer, and Heidegger were too gross in stature for her liking, and Palmer and Heidegger were idiots, anyway. Reeve was perhaps a better proposition, given his decent looks and intelligence, but he had too many scruples for her liking, and the man acted like a monk at times. Hojo was a creep, end of story. Rufus was another matter, but he had a coldness to him that made sure that Scarlet kept her distance. Besides, she didn't fail to notice the flashes of contempt in his eyes, the little upstart POS. Lazard might have been a contender, but that mess with Genesis scuppered that, as Lazard was now dead.

She used her sexuality more at one remove, teasing and baiting, stringing people along until she had no use for them, occasionally using kisses, but nothing further. But she also knew how to wield her temper like a weapon, how to manipulate others. And she was more than willing to do her own dirty work, though the survival of Barrett Wallace was a black mark on that record after the Corel massacre.

But now, she had finally reached the top. The rest of the board were easily manipulated. Heidegger, once he had learned of his error in allowing the transfer to go ahead, willingly went along, especially once Scarlet reminded him of Rufus' contempt for him. A contempt Scarlet herself shared, but Heidegger had his uses, and when Ultima Weapon attacked Junon, he proved to be in his element, organising the defences of Junon with a surprising competence. Palmer, of course, always went with the strongest side. Reeve, under duress, capitulated, but she knew Cait Sith was under his control, and Cait Sith was still on the _Highwind_.

Which was why she was now seeing the Turks in Junon's Presidential Office. Reno, Rude, and Elena were present. "So good of you to come here," Scarlet purred.

"Wow, you toppled the prez," Reno drawled. "Nice bit of manoeuvring. I'm guessing you want us to track him down?"

"No need. Thanks to Reeve, we know where he is: Mideel. I considered very carefully what to do next. Bomb Mideel? True, but we risk killing the two Cetra with them, and I'd prefer them alive. I want to execute Barrett Wallace in a public execution as well. Rufus will…'succumb to an unforeseen illness'. I thought about this, and I think I have a solution. We still have Marlene Wallace and Elmyra Gainsborough in our custody at Kalm, do we not?"

Reno looked at the others, before saying, "I think I get where you're coming from. We go to Kalm, bring them here, and tell AVALANCHE to come out of hiding, or they get killed?"

"An interesting idea. But no. I want you to kill them."

Elena frowned. "Why?"

"The threat of killing them will only control Barrett or Aerith for so long. Actually killing them will provoke them into coming out of hiding, acting impulsively. Barrett in particular will be so enraged, he will do something stupid. In any case, it is the price they pay for continually defying Shinra. These are your orders: kill Marlene Wallace and Elmyra Gainsborough."

Scarlet could see the hesitation in their faces. Eventually, she added, "Remember that the Turks have been on probation since that business with Veld. And they are rather short-staffed. Tseng is still in a bad way. The doctors say he may never wake up. Cross me, and _I will assure he doesn't_."

Reno and Rude nodded, apparently getting the hint, and guided the gawping Elena away.

* * *

Elena didn't get any answers to her questions until they were well-underway, their helicopter speeding away from Junon with Reno at the controls. "But how can we be expected to do something like that? We're killing a three-year old kid and a harmless woman."

"We're expected to do a lot of things," Reno said quietly. "You do know I activated the pillar self-destruct sequence over the Sector 7 slums?"

Elena nodded. She knew, even before Tifa had confronted her about it back at Icicle Inn. But it never sat well with her.

"We're the Turks," Rude said, speaking fairly eloquently for once. "We're Shinra's janitors and laundrymen, doing the dirty work. That is our job."

"So…what? We're going to do this? Look a toddler in the eyes and kill her, knowing her daddy is going to come after us like a Midgar Zolom?"

Silence reigned for a time, before Reno said, "In the aftermath of that whole mess with Veld, Rufus saved the Turks from complete dissolution, but on a single condition, one that we must always follow. Complete and utter loyalty to him, until the end. We had to wait until his old man died before we could actually fulfil that, but now, we are working for him. Not for Heidegger or Scarlet. And as Rufus seems to be with AVALANCHE, I guess we're going to have to join up."

Elena, quietly, digested this. Eventually, she asked, "What of Tseng?"

"He'd understand. Besides, who said he was still in hospital?" He turned to Elena and grinned. "He's currently on his way to Nibelheim. We have a few people there to look after him. I thought Scarlet might pull this crap after this morning. But if Scarlet does kill him, then he'd understand if we were in the same position. I know you like him, Elena. But we've got a job to do, and we've got to do it well." He grinned. "We've got to give them all hell!(1)"

* * *

Rufus looked at the members of AVALANCHE, who had been, up until now, his enemies. Well, to tell the truth, they still technically were. But greater threats had forced them together.

He remembered what he had said, with a sardonic lilt, when he met them for the first time, and they had introduced themselves. "_What a crew_," he had muttered. Then, of course, it had only been Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Aerith, and Nanaki. A traitorous SOLDIER who turned out to be an issue-ridden failure, two members of a terrorist organisation, a flower girl from the slums who was also the last Ancient, and a sentient mountain lion who had ended up as one of Hojo's specimens.

And their little party had grown since then. There was the _kunoichi_ brat daughter of Lord Godo of Wutai, a robot cat operated by Reeve Tuesti, a former Turk who had witnessed the beginning of Sephiroth, and an insolent and ill-tempered pilot. Oh, and there was the Cetra boy from another world, Sephiroth's 'mother', and now a man who could transform into a dog. What a crew.

They had commandeered the inn at Mideel, and Rufus was seated at the head of the table in the room they were using, much to Barrett's annoyance and Rufus' amusement. But now was not the time to revel in it. Their time was short. Aerith and Harry had wanted to stay by Cloud and Tifa's side, but Rufus persuaded them to come. He needed information, particularly about Holy.

"Let us take stock," Rufus said quietly. "The situation is, to put it mildly, pretty bad. Sephiroth has summoned Meteor, and Holy, which may be able to stop it, is possibly being blocked by him."

Aerith pulled the glowing Materia from her hair. She tapped it, indicating the sickly black swirls within. "No mistake. He is blocking Holy."

"Very well. What else? Scarlet has decided to turn on me, and she'll probably be making plans to flush us out. If we're lucky, she'll send the Turks."

"How is that lucky?" Cid asked, inhaling from his cigarette.

"I made them swear strict personal loyalty to me. I trust Reno and Rude with my life, even if I know you don't. Elena…follows their lead. But there's another issue. Cait Sith, if you don't mind?"

By now, it was an open secret that Cait Sith was controlled by Reeve Tuesti, but for the sake of appearances, they addressed the semi-autonomous robot cat as Cait Sith. "Very well, Rufus." He leapt from his moogle steed onto the table. "Now, old Kya-Ha-Ha and Gya-Ha-Ha(2) have come up with a plan that they think will destroy Meteor: firing Experimental Rocket No. 26 at it."

Cid snorted. "Wouldn't so much as make a dent unless you've got a pretty big bomb in it."

"Oh, they do. They're using two bombs, actually. The first is an old hydrogen bomb, as a back-up. But the main event is going to be a Materia bomb."

"A Materia bomb?" Cid frowned.

"It was something Heidegger and Scarlet told me about, not long after I assumed control of Shinra," Rufus said. "They have been using the Mako Reactors for more than just electricity, or Hojo's experiments. They have been trying to create Huge Materia, in much the same way as some nuclear reactors can be used to 'breed' weapons-grade plutonium.(3)"

"And these Huge Materia can be used as weapons?" Aerith asked, horrified.

Rufus nodded. "There are four reactors that have Huge Materia being 'grown', and potentially ready: Corel, Fort Condor, Nibelheim, and the underwater reactor at Junon. Now, while I would be loathe to interfere with any plan to stop Meteor, the truth is, there is no guarantee it will work, and it may be that the Huge Materia should be put to better use by stopping Sephiroth, rather than being shot into space. My proposal is this: we intercept Shinra at the reactors and, if necessary, at Rocket Town, and take the Huge Materia for ourselves. I had considered holding it hostage to force Scarlet to resign, but it isn't in her nature to surrender. Instead, we will use the Huge Materia to stop Sephiroth. It's possible that we can use the Huge Materia to destroy the barrier that I was told was erected around the Crater." Rufus stood, and looked at them all. "Given intelligence by Cait Sith, our first targets should be the Corel and Fort Condor reactors. Shinra is moving to get those first."

"I'll go to Corel!" Barrett bellowed. "I've gotta stop Shinra from screwing Corel over again!"

"I was considering that, Mr Wallace. I suggest you, Cid, and Mr Valentine go to Corel. Cait Sith, you'll take Nanaki and Yuffie and help defend Fort Condor. I'll give you my secret bank card to help pay for the mercenaries there. Scarlet hasn't been able to freeze its funds, I daresay."

"And what? You'll stay here with Aerith and Harry?" Barrett asked, suspicious.

"If Scarlet has sent the Turks after me, then I will need to stay in the one spot. And if the Turks are after me, then it means they aren't after you. In any case, would you trust me with any of you?"

"Don't worry," Jenova purred. "I'll deal with him if he gets uppity."

"And who watches the watchers?" Nanaki remarked.

"_Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?_" Sirius muttered(4).

"I'll be fine," Aerith said. "Anyway, someone needs to stay behind and look after Cloud and Tifa. And if Rufus is right, the Turks shouldn't be an issue."

"You're too trusting, you know that?" Cid groused.

"True. But then I wouldn't have met you guys, would I?" Aerith asked, smiling winningly. "Besides, thanks to Cait Sith, we have our weapons and Materia back." Her expression became solemn. "But we have to face facts. This is going to be a hard battle. We have Sephiroth and Shinra against us. If we can get Cloud and Tifa out of their stupor, great. If we can get the Turks on our side, great. But the odds are against us. We have no guarantee of winning. We are _not_ going to give in, however. To give in is the same as basically killing yourself. Because that is what is at stake here: life. The lives of every living being on this Planet will be destroyed if Sephiroth has his own way: worse, they will be forced to become part of him, if his insane plan succeeds. No matter who you are or what your creed, we can agree on the simple fact that we don't want that to happen, and we will work together to stop him. Am I right?"

Sirius stared at Aerith in shock. For a moment, it seemed like Lily Potter had come back from the dead. It wasn't just the green eyes and gentle, if mischievous, demeanour that they had in common. It was also that fiery will within. And as much as he sensed that Rufus and Barrett wanted to be in charge of matters, it was clear who was the real centre of the group at the moment. He looked at the way Harry was looking at the young woman. And he smiled. He knew he wasn't yet trusted in the group, but he knew that Harry was in good hands with Aerith.

He just hoped that he could make sure that he could make up for the time he had languished in Azkaban. Sirius was Harry's godfather. He would protect Harry, even if it meant his life…

**CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Oooh, Scarlet is a bitch. In the game, she's something of a sadist and a haughty bitch. I wanted to expand on that. I also wondered whether she slept her way to her position, but decided that she didn't. Doesn't stop her from having issues with anyone accusing her of that. Then again, there aren't that many options within Shinra's executives anyway, as I pointed out.**

**I initially thought I would have her threaten to kill Marlene and Elmyra, until I thought it would be more of her style to kill them anyway, as a measure to flush Barrett out. As much of a bastard Rufus is, he's a more reasonable person, less likely to waste resources if he can help it. As for the Turks, their loyalties haven't actually changed, just been clarified. Reeve is going to be dancing a fine line, but his loyalties, in case you're wondering, are firmly with AVALANCHE. He'll be joining AVALANCHE in person during the raid on the Junon reactor. Or will he? Will something else happen? You'll have to wait and see.**

**I thought Aerith taking charge, effectively, of AVALANCHE, was a nice touch. She'll be staying at Mideel, looking after Harry, Cloud, and Tifa, but she's effectively taken command.**

**The next chapter will have the Turks' attempt at rescuing Marlene and Elmyra.**

**1\. A little reference to the song ****_Live and Let Die_****.**

**2\. I love these nicknames Cait Sith/Reeve gives to his colleagues in the game. I couldn't resist adding them here.**

**3\. I mentioned nuclear weapons because I would be surprised if this technologically advanced world didn't have them. I also thought, if the Rocket hit Meteor and managed to damage it with an explosion, how come? Especially if you managed to remove the Huge Materia on board? My solution was this: a hydrogen bomb on board as a sort of back-up. This sort of overkill does seem to suit Scarlet and Heidegger's mentality. I mean, look at the size of the Sister Ray. It can't be for shooting at Weapons all the time. Personally, as mentioned before, I think Heidegger was compensating for something.**

**4\. Sirius is speaking, in Latin, more or less the same thing as Nanaki. It's a phrase from Roman writer Juvenal, mentioned in many works. One of the translations, 'Who watches the watchmen?', is, of course, one of the motifs in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' famous work ****_Watchmen_****.**

**CHAPTER 17 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Scarlet, Triumphant****: ****_Shinra, Inc_****. (FTG).**

**Divided Loyalties****: ****_Turks' Theme_**** (FTG). What else would you have with the Turks discussing their betrayal of Scarlet?**


	22. Chapter 18: Kalm Shattered by a Storm

**CHAPTER 18:**

**KALM SHATTERED BY A STORM**

The worldview of a three-year old is wonderfully simple and uncomplicated. The world is divided into good guys and bad guys, good and evil. This, then, was how Marlene Wallace saw the world. She saw her father, Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith the Flower Lady, as goodies. She saw Shinra as baddies. She was far too young to know that, for all Shinra's atrocities, the world was not drawn in black and white, but moral shades of grey and colour.

She was, dimly, aware that Barrett wasn't her real father, that her real father was long dead. She may not have understood what it meant had it been explained to her that her real father, Dyne, had survived until a couple of weeks ago, and had been a crazed murderer who, when learning of Marlene's continued existence, had declared he wanted to send Marlene to his wife's side.

She was too young to understand how many people died when Sector 7's plate fell, and the slums she had grown in for most of her life were destroyed. She didn't understand death, not properly. Very few people understood death as anything more than an abstract, even after the comforting times of childhood.

But there was one thing about Marlene that people forgot. Like the biological father she never knew, and the adoptive father who would do anything to protect her, she had a heart of burning coal, like all citizens of Corel worth their salt. Which was why she weathered the move from Midgar to Kalm, and why she kept calm. Elmyra fretted a little more, but only because she was worried about her daughter, the nice Flower Lady. They put on a brave face together. And it wasn't like they were treated badly. The man who took them here, Reeve, was nice and apologetic. For someone from Shinra, he seemed like a good man.

Still, the Shinra troopers seemed restless today. And, of course, there was the news about AVALANCHE being captured, and the Weapon creatures attacking. Marlene hoped she would see her father soon.

Fate would ensure that, by the end of the day, she would see one of her fathers. One way, or another…

* * *

The Turks' helicopter touched down just outside of Kalm. Reno looked at Elena and Rude. "Go on ahead. I want to give this thing a once-over, in case Scarlet left any surprises in here."

"Right," Rude said. The three Turks checked over their Materia, as well as their weapons. For all they knew, Scarlet had sent others to kill the hostages, and perhaps even them. They had pilfered some of the Materia that AVALANCHE had 'bred', particularly the summons. The Turks felt no compunction about doing so. They were the sharp and keen instruments of Shinra, meant to do its dirty work. Of course, now, doing things for Shinra meant for Rufus Shinra rather than the Shinra Company.

"Have we got enough fuel to get to Rufus?" Elena asked.

"We don't need to. Reeve told me that his little toy is going to be dropped off at Fort Condor, along with the big bad mountain lion and the loud-mouthed noobie ninja princess. Once they're done there, we can wait for the _Highwind_ to pick us up and take us all back to Mideel." Reno checked his watch. "Okay, clock's ticking. Get a move on. Remember, this is a mission, even if it ain't sanctioned by the Scarlet Woman. Protect the two principals as if they were Shinra execs themselves. Well, if they were Rufus, anyway."

Rude and Elena nodded, with the latter saying, "Yes, sir!" The two of them then strode into Kalm.

* * *

"How are we going to do this?" Elena asked.

"Simple. We pretend we're going to take them elsewhere to kill them. Then, we extract them. And Scarlet is none the wiser for some time. Hopefully." Rude was unusually talkative.

They went up to the house they were told where the hostages were kept, and talked to the troopers (in civilian outfits) what they were doing. Rude even had an electronic copy of Scarlet's orders she had sent to his PHS as they left.

"We need to extract them quietly and with little fuss," Rude said. "We're capable of taking them to the chopper ourselves, though."

"Better you do it away from here," one of the troopers said, his face twisted with conflicting emotions. "I didn't join Shinra to shoot kids. I don't want to see you do it.(1)"

"I understand. We get our hands dirty so you sleep well at night." Elena found the mild jibe rolling easily off her tongue.

The trooper fell silent at that. The two Turks went up the stairs and entered the small apartment where the hostages were kept. Marlene and Elmyra were playing with a jigsaw puzzle, only to look up. "Turks!" Elmyra hissed. "What do you want?"

"Apologies," Rude said.

Elena, knowing Rude would struggle, picked up the slack. "We have orders to transfer you, ma'am. In light of AVALANCHE's escape from Junon, we need to transfer you both to another location."

"No! I won't go with you!" Marlene snapped defiantly.

"We're wasting time." With that, Rude activated one of his Materia. Marlene sagged to the ground, the Sleep spell working on her. "Carry her, please," Rude said to Elena. Then, looking at Elmyra, he said, "We need to go now."

Elmyra, albeit reluctantly, acceded to Rude's commands, so with Rude bringing up the rear, the small group made their way out of the house.

* * *

It was in the square that everything went to shit. Gunfire erupted from outside the town, in the direction of the helicopter. And Shinra troopers were marching in to the square.

On instinct, the two Turks dove for cover in an alley, Rude dragging Elmyra with them, just before a hail of bullets hit them. "Damn, Scarlet must've decided to take no chances!" Elena snarled.

"Or she had bugs on the chopper. She probably knows we weren't going to follow her directive." Rude looked at the two women. "Elmyra, you take the girl. Elena, you have point. I'll take up the rear. The troopers are our enemy. If we need to kill them, we kill them."

A group of Shinra troopers entered the alley, but Rude sent a Blizzaga spell their way, a wall of ice sealing up the alley's entrance. As the three began running along the alleys, Elmyra said, "I thought you were with Shinra!"

"We _are_ with Shinra! Rufus Shinra!" Elena panted. "Scarlet has instituted a _coup d'etat!_ She wanted you two killed to get Barrett and Aerith out of hiding!" As they ran out of the alley, a couple of Shinra troopers spotted her. She sent a Firaga spell in their direction, scattering them like bowling pins.

"Scarlet? Not that blonde harpy who dresses like a tart?"

"She's more of an old lemon drop than a tart!" Elena snarled(2).

* * *

In another world, Dumbledore sneezed while trying a lemon drop instead of his habitual lemon sherbert. Said candy flew out of his mouth and hit the portrait of former Headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, who howled in protest.

* * *

It seemed that Scarlet had underestimated the Turks, as the Shinra troopers were easily removed from their path. They soon came to the outskirts, where Reno was struggling to hold off more Shinra soldiers…at least until Elena and Rude finished them off. "Well," Reno drawled, even as he clutched at a bleeding wound and swigged a Potion, "can you guys try to arrive _before_ the nick of time?"

"You're welcome," Rude said, while helping Elmyra and the sleeping Marlene into the chopper.

Reno clambered into the cockpit, and started the engines, having shut them down in order to avoid suspicion from Scarlet if she had any people in the area. Meanwhile, Elena, leaning out of the side doors, fired spell after spell at the Shinra troopers who were still approaching. "So much for being remotely subtle," Reno muttered as the helicopter's rotors engaged.

Soon, the chopper was in the air, and heading towards Fort Condor…

* * *

Scarlet strode down the corridors of Shinra's Junon HQ on wings of rage. She was unaware that Elmyra had called her a harpy, but at the moment, Scarlet was more inclined to emulate the Furies, embodiment of retribution. The operation to kill the Turks and the two hostages had failed. She had ordered the Shinra troopers to move in because she was certain, regardless of whether they carried out their mission, that their loyalties were to Rufus. But the damned Turks had been ready enough for her. Dammit, if they couldn't stop a small terrorist group, how the hell could they fight off a squad of her own troopers(3)?

She was determined to take her anger out on somebody. Tseng had been transferred, she didn't know where, but there was someone who she had been angry with for some time. She was determined to throttle someone with her own hands. And she knew who.

She burst into the board room, where Palmer, Reeve, and Heidegger were looking at her, understandably apprehensively. She strode towards her target grabbed him by the neck, and began to squeeze.

"Scarlet…" Reeve choked. "You're choking…me…"

"That is the idea," she hissed. "I'm downsizing the board, starting with your windpipe!" As the Urban Development Planner of Shinra gagged, and the other two members of the board watched on, Scarlet snarled, "Oh, I've wanted to do this for a long time, Reeve. You with your stupid little morals and qualms and your toys. A grown man, playing with toys! You should've realised long ago that to get anywhere in Shinra, you should've left your morals at the door! But you didn't, you piss-weak little man! You should've taken the initiative to kill Rufus at Mideel, but no, you're too weak, even through your toy."

"Is tha' so, lassie?" came a very different voice out of Reeve's mouth. He was no longer choking, or his eyes rolling up in their sockets. Instead, he was looking at her with the sort of smile no man should have while being throttled to death. Unless they were into weird stuff, anyway. It was a wry grin, his eyes twinkling.

* * *

Back on Earth, Dumbledore sneezed again. He hoped he wasn't getting a cold: it was January after all…

* * *

Before Scarlet could react to this sudden change of demeanour in Reeve, he suddenly fell apart in her hands. The familiar form of Cait Sith tumbled out of his clothes, leapt onto the table, and smiled. "Weak I may be, Scarlet, but an idiot I am not. After that board meeting where you got us to topple Rufus, I knew I should take precautions. I'm currently in hiding. Funnily enough, I actually designed this little decoy on your orders. Dearie me, lass, are you goin' senile in your old age?"

The insult was calculated to enrage Scarlet, and it worked. With a snarl, she lashed out at the robot cat. Cait Sith merely leapt agilely out of the way. "Oh dear, you've always had trouble shootin' at a movin' target, ye hag." Claws poked themselves out of the gloves that the toy cat wore. "Here, I'll get close up and personal." Then, with a vicious yowl, he leapt onto Scarlet's face, biting and scratching.

It was Heidegger who took the initiative, even as Scarlet screamed in pain and rage, trying to get Cait Sith off her. The bearded man sprinted around the table with more alacrity than one would expect given his girth, and grabbed Cait Sith by the scruff of the neck, before ripping him away. This actually caused more damage to Scarlet's face than Cait Sith's actual attacks. Cait Sith hit the table and bounced, before scampering away.

"My face…" Scarlet whimpered, clutching at her wounds. Great rivers of crimson were welling up in canyons of flesh carved by the claws of Cait Sith. What started in her mouth as a low moan of pain and anguish scaled up in volume and pitch until it became a scream of fury and anger. She grabbed Heidegger by the coat, her eyes wild, her hair ragged, frothy saliva mixing with the blood running down her face, making her look like a rabid demon of hell. "Find him. Exterminate him. We're not playing games any more. We're killing him, and AVALANCHE, and anyone remotely related to them. _Exterminate them!_"

* * *

Reeve, in his hideout, struggled to suppress his laughter as Heidegger nearly fell over, while Scarlet, her visage emulating her name, began looking for a Cure Materia or a Potion. It was hilarious, but Scarlet's threat was serious.

She'd be even more angry when she realised that he had coated Cait Sith's claws and teeth in a substance that inhibited full healing. The bleeding would stop, true, but she would be scarred for the rest of her life, or at least until her next visit to that cosmetic surgeon she frequented.

Reeve began punching in codes into the Shinra military database. Almost all of the aircraft Shinra had had computer-based systems, and it was too easy, once you knew how, to hack into them. He only knew because he had had been forced by Heidegger to write the code to the Shinra air-force's computer systems, something Heidegger was going to regret, as Reeve created backdoors (as all good programmers did), backdoors he remembered how to use. Within ten minutes, while Heidegger was still barking orders, the entire fleet of the Shinra airforce were grounded, save for three: the _Highwind_, and the two helicopters used by the Turks. Normal aircraft were fine, but anything with weapons were grounded.

He reached for a comms panel. "Cait Sith Unit Three(4)? Notify Nanaki and Yuffie about the Turks on their way." After that, he reached for his PHS and called Rufus. "Rufus?"

"_Reeve. What's the matter?_"

"Old Kya-Ha-Ha discovered the Turks' treachery. And she tried to take it out on me. Thankfully, I thought to have Unit Four stand in for me in advance. Scarlet's learned what it's like to be really catty." Reeve's smirk disappeared as swiftly as it came. "But she's determined to kill not only yourself and AVALANCHE, but everyone connected with them. I've disabled the Shinra air-fleet, save for the _Highwind _and the Turks' helicopters. That's bought us some time, but I can't deal with the older ships of the navy so easily."

"…_You're a dangerous man when you put your mind to it, Reeve_," Rufus said, though Reeve wasn't sure whether it was a compliment or a warning. "_Where are you now?_"

"Safe, for the moment. I can't say anything more on the off-chance that she's listening. I'll continue to disrupt Shinra's operations from here, and gather intel. Cait Sith Unit Four can help disrupt things here."

"_Good work, Reeve. But don't disrupt things too much. I intend to evict these uppity squatters from my home, not destroy it. Keep damage to a minimum. Rufus out._"

Reeve put the PHS away. He wasn't intending to bring Shinra down anyway. But…it didn't mean he couldn't have some fun. He had spent much of his life being the butt of jokes from other executives, at least when Palmer wasn't. He had been the one to create the Mako Reactor. And yet, the respect he had been given was minimal.

He wasn't going to blow things up, like AVALANCHE did, but he was going to have fun…

**CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, the Turks save the hostages, Scarlet tries to murder Reeve, only to lose a catfight, badly. Fun times all-round. Plus, I wanted to show Elena being badass. She's pretty much the butt of jokes in the game, so I wanted to give her, and the Turks in general, a moment to shine. I know we haven't seen as much of Harry lately, or as much as we should have for the story in general. The emphasis will be back to him and Sirius next chapter. I hope…**

**Oh, and in case you're wondering why Reeve doesn't think to disable the planes in the game…I don't know why. Reeve probably couldn't do so without getting into more trouble with Shinra, as it could be potentially traced back to him. But Shinra, in any case, were trying to deal with Weapon more, given that Rufus was less inclined to focus his attention on AVALANCHE once they escaped. Because in this story Scarlet wanted to attack AVALANCHE more directly in a fury, Reeve decided to use the backdoors.**

**Oh, and remember the Reeve decoy from _Dirge of Cerberus_? This scene explains where it came from in passing…**

**1\. Most of the Shinra troopers are faceless goons who shoot anyone they're ordered to and die at the player's hand in the game. This was my attempt to give them a bit more nuance than that. At least more than a few Shinra troopers have to be uneasy about killing unarmed civilians, especially kids.**

**2\. I was trying to find the right confectionary or dessert to contrast with Scarlet, and I realised, while looking through the Wikipedia article listing various desserts and confectionaries, that lemon drops were just perfect. In fact, while writing this annotation, I was inspired to write the little scene where Dumbledore tries lemon drops and sneezes while having it. In the British version of the books, which are the ones I am basing my fanfic on, he prefers lemon sherberts. This is my own little cheeky nod to my opinion on the issue.**

**3\. Scarlet underestimated the Turks because the Turks get beaten by AVALANCHE so many times. Truth be told, they're probably pretty badass against the average Shinra trooper. Plus, Scarlet holds them in contempt because she holds their nominal boss, Heidegger, in contempt.**

**4\. I sort of made this up, but there's a method to it. Cait Sith Units Four and Five are seen in ****_Dirge of Cerberus_**** (the former is captured by Nero, I think), while one version of Cait Sith is seen in ****_Before Crisis_****. Here, I decided that Unit Two was the one who got squashed in the Temple of Ancients, while Three is the main one with the party at this point (despite being called Number Two in-game). Four is still a prototype, but designed for infiltration and attack. Incidentally, Reeve, albeit unwittingly, is using on Cait Sith's claws the same or a similar substance to that I said was on Sephiroth's sword. It inhibits healing. Scarlet's going to be Scar-Let for a while…**

**CHAPTER 18 SOUNDTRACK:**

**The Storm That Shattered Kalm****: ****_Those Who Fight_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and the Black Mages. If it's good enough for Reno and Rude fighting off Loz and Yazoo, then it's even better for Rude and Elena fighting their way through Shinra's troops.**

**Scarlet, the Fury****: ****_Evil Lord Exdeath_****, from ****_Final Fantasy V_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I thought this music would suit Scarlet's rage.**

**Cat-Fight****: ****_Demon Lord Ghirahim Battle 1_****, from ****_The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword_****, composed by Hajime Wakai et al. The shrill strings suit both Cait Sith and Scarlet, I think. A weird fit, but a decent one I think.**


	23. Chapter 19: Why So Sirius?

**CHAPTER 19:**

**WHY SO SIRIUS?**

The more Harry was around Sirius Black, the more he was beginning to warm to the man. Sure, he looked exactly like he was, an escaped convict, and there was a febrile gleam of near-madness in his eyes on occasion. But all the same, there was a genuine happiness in his eyes, albeit tempered by sadness, when he looked at Harry. And Harry, despite being wary of the man, began to ask him about his parents. And conversation, eventually, turned to the Marauders.

The Marauders, Sirius explained, were a quartet of Gryffindor students who made it their mission to play pranks throughout the corridors of Hogwarts. Sirius was one of them, under the _nom de guerre_ (as Sirius put it) of Padfoot, as was Harry's father, James 'Prongs' Potter. Peter Pettigrew, the supposed true traitor of the Potters, was Wormtail, and Remus Lupin, Moony, was the last but by no means least member of their merry band.

"Why Padfoot?" Aerith asked. The five of them left behind (Harry, Sirius, Aerith, Rufus and Jenova) were currently in the clinic, with Aerith tending to Cloud and Tifa. The doctor and the nurse at the clinic were currently on a break.

Sirius smiled. "You saw how I could turn into a dog, right?"

"Oh, how droll," Rufus remarked. He then frowned. "You called Pettigrew a rat earlier. Given how his nickname was 'Wormtail', am I to believe that the appellation was somewhat more literal than I believed?"

"If you mean he actually turned into a rat, then yes," Sirius said. "As it turned out, it was a very suitable Animagus form for him. Now your father, Harry, was able to turn himself into a stag, hence 'Prongs'."

"Oh, as in his antlers," Aerith said, smiling.

"And Lupin?" Harry asked. "What was his Animagus transformation?"

"He didn't have one." Sirius, for a moment, seemed uncomfortable, before saying, "Remus was…still is, I suppose, a werewolf. Hence 'Mooney'. He was bitten at a young age by one of the worst werewolves, a monster by the name of Fenrir Greyback. His condition had to be kept quiet while he attended Hogwarts, and he had to hide himself in a secure building on nights of the full moon. He's a great guy, if rather quiet and bookish. I really shouldn't have distanced myself from him, though. We were thinking he may have turned traitor, allied himself with the werewolves fighting under Voldemort. We should have looked at the weakest link."

"Indeed," Rufus said snidely.

Sirius turned to face Rufus, more than a little irritated. "You look and sound a lot like someone I used to know. Guy by the name of Lucius Malfoy. You sure you aren't related?"

"I don't think I have been to another world my whole life. So no." Before anything else could be added, Rufus' PHS played the _Loveless_ victory theme again. "Excuse me," he said with little actual sincerity, before walking out.

While Rufus was out, answering his calls (he was outside the clinic for a while), Sirius regaled Harry with more tales of the Marauders' exploits. Becoming Animagi was their way of supporting Remus, for werewolves were generally less aggressive towards animals in general. This, in turn, strengthened the bonds between the four Marauders.

Eventually, Harry asked, "And what about my mother?"

"Lily? She didn't join us until fifth year. Prongs tried so many times to woo her, though, ever since they met on the Hogwarts Express. She was friends with a Slytherin by the name of Severus Snape, nasty piece of work."

"Slytherin?" Aerith asked.

Sirius took that moment to explain the House system of Hogwarts. How Gryffindor was the home of the brave and valiant, Ravenclaw the smart and witty, Hufflepuff the loyal and tenacious, and Slytherin the cunning and ambitious. "Slytherin was where Voldemort came from, along with all but a few of his Death Eaters. It's little more than a nest of snakes."

"Cunning and ambition aren't necessarily bad," Aerith pointed out.

"True, and I'll admit, there were some who weren't so bad. Old Slughorn, the head of Slytherin when I was at school, was a bit oily and loved to ride off the coat-tails of others, but he was nice enough, and there's my cousin, Andromeda. But the thing is, the Founder of that House, Salazar Slytherin, was opposed to Muggleborn wizards and witches being brought in. Even to this day, only Purebloods and Half-Bloods can enter that House."

"And what defines this…purity of blood?" Jenova asked, raising a silvery eyebrow.

"It's a long story that I'll explain later. My own family were heavily into blood purity, and were almost entirely die-hard Slytherins. I was the white sheep of the family by getting Sorted into Gryffindor, and my cousin Andromeda, while she was in Slytherin, got kicked out of the house for marrying a Muggleborn. The Black family had a reputation for being heavily into the Dark Arts, though. I guess that's why they so readily thought I was the traitor. It didn't help that I put it about that I was the Secret Keeper rather than the rat, but that was to divert attention away from Peter. And look where that got me: into Azkaban without a trial."

"But…my mother," Harry said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"Was one of the most brilliant witches of all time. The Purebloods hated her guts, because she was a Muggleborn. In other words, her parents were not magical, or had any notable immediate ancestors who were magical. Lily did show me something on a Muggle science called genetics, though, and she reckoned many Muggleborn had a Squib in their ancestry somewhere. And she wasn't just smart, she was brave and had a fiery temper. Oh, the stories I could tell you…"

Sirius' stories, however, were interrupted when Rufus walked back in. "I have bad news and good news. The bad news is, Scarlet ordered the execution of Marlene and your mother, Aerith, in order to flush us out of hiding. The good news is, she decided to send the Turks initially, to try and get rid of the last vestiges of my reign."

"How is sending the Turks a good thing?" Aerith demanded, although Rufus' tone suggested that everything was fine. Not that good coming from Rufus, though.

"Because their personal loyalty to me is absolute. Reno, Rude, and Elena rescued Marlene and Mrs Gainsborough from Kalm, while, I might add, under attack from a squad of Shinra troopers. They're currently at Fort Condor, waiting for the _Highwind_ to come back. Incidentally, your comrades secured the Huge Materia, and a bonus: a Phoenix Summon Materia."

"And the Condor?" Aerith asked. "Is it all right?"

"The adult Condor is apparently dead, but there is an infant that hatched from the egg on the Reactor. In addition, the Corel operation was a success. Cid operated an old coal train to intercept Shinra's own, and obtained the Huge Materia. Not only that, but they apparently stopped a runaway train from crashing into the town, and got given an Ultima Materia for their troubles."

"Ultima?" Aerith murmured in awe.

"What's Ultima?" Harry asked.

"The most powerful magic attack that can be used for battle. It hits the enemy with a massive magical explosion," Rufus explained. "No elemental damage, just raw magical fury. It's very rare Materia. So, we have two Huge Materia. I think for the moment, we will hold off on making a move for the others. I managed to contact Reeve, and Scarlet is very rapidly losing control. Which is a shame. I thought she kept better control of her emotions than she is now. Better to let things cool down a moment at Shinra. Thankfully, and rather disturbingly, Reeve was able to disable most of the Shinra air-force, save for the _Highwind_ and the two Turks helicopters. But Junon is on high alert, and is one of the most heavily-defended cities in the world. Reeve is keeping an eye on things there. He had to go into hiding."

"So, my mother and Marlene are…?" Aerith asked.

"Safe and sound, for the moment. You are indeed fortunate," Rufus said. There was a mildly bitter undertone none of those present failed to pick up on.

"You can choose your friends, but not your family," Sirius remarked quietly.

Jenova snorted. "I wouldn't know. The only 'family' I remember were those born by Hojo's experiments. And they didn't turn out well. Most are dead, Genesis is…missing, and Sephiroth…well, we know how well he's turned out."

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, by what standard would Sephiroth have to turn out well? Consuming everything in the world like you yourself intended to? I mean, he is well on the way there."

Jenova spun on her heel, and smashed Rufus to the ground with her fist. "I am a predator by nature. I do not consume because I wish to be a god. I already am one! But you…your company sucks the life from the Planet, and for what? You would have to live for longer than any human would to attain the power I have!"

Rufus got to his feet, rubbing his cheek, glowering at Jenova. "You have about as much power as I do, which is to say very little. We're exiled royalty from our seats of power. The main difference is, I at least accept that I've lost much of my power, and I intend to do more to rectify that than empty boasting and conniptions."

As Rufus strode from the clinic, a weak chuckle emanated from one of the beds. "Wow…did I really just see Rufus Shinra and Jenova get into a catfight?"

"Tifa!" Harry yelled, delightedly, as the dark-haired girl smiled weakly at them.

"Hey, Harry," she rasped, her voice hoarse, no longer the musical thing it once was. She looked around, before her eyes focused on Sirius. "I…I must be still hallucinating from the Mako poisoning. I don't know this guy."

"Well, you are in 'Sirius' trouble," Sirius said with a smile and a bow. "Sirius Black, Ladies' Man, Fugitive, and Godfather to Harry. A very long story, and I'm afraid I'm no hallucination."

"Sounds like it. How come Rufus is here?" And then she blinked. "And where's Cloud?" She looked around in a panic, before her eyes settled on the catatonic form next to her. Her face fell. "Oh, _Cloud_."

Harry saw the look on her face. The sheer heart-breaking look of despair. And as much as Cloud had been antagonistic towards Harry, he wasn't that bad, especially compared to the Dursleys. And Cloud had been through a lot. Harry wasn't quite ready to forgive him, but he wanted Cloud to get out of this state, for Tifa and Aerith's sake. They had known Cloud for longer, and Aerith had assured Harry time and again that he hadn't seen the best of Cloud. Harry believed her…but he wanted to see the truth for himself. He hoped that he could forgive Cloud. It couldn't have been fun to go through what Cloud went through.

"How…how bad is it?" Tifa asked.

"The doctors don't know. Only that you had a much better chance of recovery." Aerith went over to Cloud, who was currently staring in an imbecilic manner at the wall. "And remember, he's already been through severe Mako poisoning already."

"And only recently," Tifa murmured. "It was just before I met him in Midgar that he said he recovered. That's, what, two Mako poisonings in the past while? I don't know how he could stand it. It was horrible. All those voices, accusing me of hiding the truth from Cloud. All that information flooding into my mind. I don't want to do that again any time soon."

Suddenly, the building began to shake. And a tremendous bellow sounded from outside. Jenova seemed to pale. "Oh, no," she moaned.

"What?" Sirius said as he tried to keep his footing. "What in Merlin's name is causing that noise?" He then strode to the door, opened it…and swiftly shut it. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT THING?" he screamed.

Aerith peered out of the window. She recognised the familiar draconian shape. "It's Weapon. It's the same Weapon that attacked Junon when we were escaping! But why is it here?"

For once, they saw complete and utter terror on Jenova's face. The monster from another world, the mother of monsters, and the one responsible for wiping out most of the Cetra, was afraid for her life. "It's _me_," she said quietly, her voice almost lost over the belligerent roaring of the Weapon outside. "The Weapon…it has come for me."

**CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

**A nice moment with Harry and the others (and sorry for the bad pun for the title: I couldn't resist). I suck at writing battle scenes, so I decided to refrain from novelizing the events at Corel and Fort Condor. I also wanted to contrast both Rufus and Jenova. They're both people of great power, deposed by others. Rufus, however, and for all his manifold faults, is not complaining about it. Instead, he has plans to regain Shinra. Jenova, on the other hands, while she has a goal, doesn't have the means or plans, beyond 'kill Sephiroth'. She's a monster who has only just managed to get back in control of her own destiny again, and she's still trying to find her way.**

**Also, if you're wondering why Jenova's so scared of Weapon, keep in mind that most of the Weapons was originally designed to kill Jenova, and she knows this. In fact, Ultima Weapon sensed her, and attacked Junon for this reason. It's now tracked her to Mideel, having realised its mistake. So in case you're wondering why Mideel is being attacked by Ultima Weapon this early on compared to some days later in the game's relative time, that's why.**

**No numbered annotations this time, though.**

**CHAPTER 19 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Tifa Awakes****: ****_Tifa's Theme_**** (FTG). Obviously. It works so well here.**

**Ultima Weapon's Advent****: ****_Weapon Raid_**** (FTG). But I will have another theme for the next chapter…**


	24. Chapter 20: Weapon of Mass Destruction

**CHAPTER 20:**

**WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION**

On the _Highwind_, Barrett Wallace had just had a tearful reunion with his daughter. The fact that it was the Turks who had brought her to him mattered little, at least for the time being. He was, of course, annoyed that Rude had resorted to using a Sleep spell in order to get her out of the Kalm house, but accounts, as Rufus himself had said, could be settled later. And the three Turks had brought him his daughter. That had helped matters, though he still remembered Reno's sneer as he activated the self-destruct sequence on the pillar above the Sector 7 Slums.

Cid was currently in the cockpit area, while Yuffie was currently huddled in a corner of the cargo area, trying not to vomit copiously. Cait Sith, Vincent, and Nanaki, however, were with Barrett in the briefing room of the Highwind, along with the three Turks and Elmyra Gainsborough.

Eventually, Barrett perched Marlene on his shoulder, and said, quietly, "For what it's worth…thanks for getting them both out of Kalm."

"All part of the service, yeah?" Reno said, a little sardonically. "In any case, we'll be soon meetin' up with the boss in Mideel. I guess for the time being, it's just like Wutai, huh?"

"And what of after that?" Nanaki asked.

"We'll deal with that when we get to it," Barrett said impatiently. He'd sooner trust Cait Sith, and his operator Reeve, than the Turks, but Barrett was able to swallow his pride long enough to work with them.

Elmyra was standing a little to one side, thinking. It had been Cait Sith who had taken her aside (while waiting for the _Highwind_ to come back from Corel), and told her about the fate of Zack Fair, Aerith's first boyfriend, the SOLDIER who had broken her heart. About how Cloud, somehow, assimilated Zack's memories and part of his personality. While Elmyra hadn't liked the way Zack had broken Aerith's heart, she knew now that there had been far more to the story. And the young man had been a hero, trying to stop Sephiroth, and helping Cloud and Tifa.

Elena, meanwhile, was looking at the large hunks of Materia crystal currently laid out on the table. "So this is Huge Materia. Seems so innocuous."

"All Materia does," Vincent said.

"And Shinra wanted to use this to destroy Meteor?" Elmyra asked. "What was so wrong with that?"

"Aerith told us that the only thing that can possibly counteract Meteor was her own Materia, Holy. But Sephiroth is blocking it. We need to enter the Crater and kill him."

"Easier said than done," Reno said, tapping his electro-rod against his shoulder pensively. "Last I heard, the guy has a barrier around it."

"Old Kya-Ha-Ha and Gya-Ha-Ha are working around that," Cait Sith said. "The military planes may be down, but they've got cargo planes. And they'll soon have found a way to get rid of my backdoors. They've decided to use those cargo planes to send the Sister Ray to Midgar. They're going to power the Sister Ray with every Mako Reactor in Midgar. Dangerous, but I looked at the figures. It should work. Unfortunately, Hojo's taking a very unhealthy interest in it."

"Hojo's a biologist, not a weapons engineer," Reno said, frowning. "Why the hell would he be interested in a big-ass Mako cannon?"

"Nothing good, I can imagine," Elmyra said. She remembered what Aerith had told her of Hojo, when Aerith had grown up in Shinra's laboratories. "The man's a lunatic."

Vincent nodded his silent corroboration, not that anyone here really needed it. Eventually, he said, "Hojo is Sephiroth's father. Perhaps he might use the Sister Ray to aid his son.(1)"

"Wait, that creep is Sephiroth's father?" Reno asked. "Does Sephiroth know?"

"It's not out of the question," Cait Sith said. "Sephiroth's contempt for Hojo was widely known. He may have known."

"Never mind about that," Barrett said. "Hojo's a creep. We've gotta put a stop to him. And Scarlet and Heidegger!"

"Yeah!" Marlene cheered.

Any further discussions on the matter were cut off when the voice of Cid came from the tannoy. "_Hey, guys, sorry to stop the little chinwag you're all having down there, but we're getting close to Mideel, and it's not looking good._"

"What do you mean?" Reno demanded.

"_See for yourself, guys!_" And then, on the screen, in the distance, they saw Mideel, poking out of the jungle. Ropes of thick, black smoke emanated from the village. And then, near one of the buildings, they saw the distinctive form of the Weapon they had fled from at Junon.

"Aerith!" Elmyra screamed.

"Rufus!" Elena yelled.

"Cloud! Tifa! Aerith!" Barrett bellowed. "Cid, how long 'till we land?"

"_I'm not damn sure! The ground keeps shaking! If you want to risk it, we've got parachutes. Otherwise, let me handle it!_"

* * *

On Earth, and on Gaia, there is a saying common to both worlds: _When you gaze long into the Abyss, it will gaze back into you_.

Rufus Shinra was now staring into the Abyss, in the form of the Weapon's eyes. It was looking down at him, judging him. Sizing him up. The strange hybrid of centaur and dragon looked down at him with something approaching contempt…no, not even contempt. To this creature, he wasn't even worthy of contempt, even as it made to swipe him aside with a massive clawed hand.

Rufus Shinra was scared. Although he never showed fear, it didn't mean he was incapable of feeling the emotion. He was famed for his cool, his apparent lack of emotion, but he still felt them all the same. But there was something else he was feeling besides fear. Something he had always felt when people showed him contempt, or worse, considered him insignificant.

Anger.

He understood anger. He understood the rage Barrett Wallace felt towards him, even as he dismissed it. He understood even Sephiroth's anger, over learning that he was a monster. And he understood the anger he had caused by treating Scarlet and Heidegger with the contempt they so richly deserved.

He knew he was going to die. But he was damned if he was going to go down without a fight.

He dove out of the way of the claw, and raised his shotgun, firing repeatedly at the creature. "LEARN YOUR PLACE!" he bellowed as he shot and dodged. "YOU WERE CREATED TO FIGHT THREATS TO THE PLANET? AND YOU DON'T TREAT ME AS YOUR ADVERSARY?! I'LL TEACH YOU TO RESPECT AND FEAR THE NAME OF RUFUS SHINRA BEFORE YOU KILL ME!"

The Weapon howled, before firing a beam of azure energy at Rufus. Although it didn't hit him, the blast sent him hurtling through the air, crashing against a tree, the breath being forced from his lungs.

_Well, this is going well_, he thought woozily.

* * *

"He's fighting it!" Sirius yelped in disbelief as he peered out of the window. "The silly idiot's fighting that monster! He's got more guts than Malfoy, I'll give him that much!"

"He's going to be killed!" Aerith yelled.

"So?" Jenova asked, from where she was huddling (yes, huddling!) on the ground. "We're all going to die. That monster is here to kill me. That's what it was born for in the first place. Anywhere that it finds a trace of Jenova cells, it will attack.(2)"

"Didn't you say you were immortal?" Aerith asked.

"My _cells _are immortal!" Jenova snapped. "But Sephiroth's consciousness dominates all the other Jenova cells. If that creature destroys me, then Sephiroth will destroy my consciousness! I will be nothing more than a memory, and I will _not_ be a memory!(3)"

"…And you're going to do that, by cowering in hiding?" Aerith asked, a surprising touch of acid to her tone. "The great Calamity from the Skies, the Bane of the Cetra, reduced to a whimpering wreck by another monster?" She snorted. "I don't know why my people were so afraid of you. Your son is far more worthy of being a Calamity than you are! At least he's actually frightening!"

Jenova's face twisted into a mask of fury. "You…I will make you fear me, Cetra!" She sprang up, leaping for Aerith, only to have the young woman dodge to the side.

"You were better at fighting when you were an ugly monster," Aerith sneered, backing towards the door. "Not that that meant much. We still kicked your butt…how many times? Three times? You're weak, you're a coward, and you ARE little more than a bad memory!" Aerith then flung open the door and dived out, just as Jenova, with a snarl of rage, pursued the young woman.

"Aerith, no!" Harry yelled, starting after them, only for Sirius to grab him.

"Harry, stop! She did that on purpose! That monster is after Jenova! Either they can drive the Weapon away, or else if that thing dies, then the Weapon might go away!"

"But Aerith might die! She was the first person to actually give a damn about me!" Harry screamed. Suddenly, Sirius found himself flying through the air, Harry blasting him with magic fuelled by his surging emotions. Sirius crashed against a cupboard of medical supplies, and slid to the floor, groaning in pain.

"Pup…Harry…no…" Sirius rasped, semi-conscious, as Harry dashed out of the door.

* * *

As Aerith raced through the streets of Mideel, an enraged Jenova on her heels, she was surprised to hear a deep voice speak in her mind. _So…the last of the Cetra is here._

Her eyes widened when she realised what it must be. The Weapon, which had paused in its attempts to kill Rufus Shinra, and was watching her run up to it, Jenova in tow. _Are you the Weapon?_ she asked in her mind.

_I am Ultima Weapon_, the creature replied.

Suddenly, the colour seemed to drain out of everything. Time slowed to a crawl. And Aerith found Ultima Weapon's attention entirely on _her_.

_I am the sworn guardian of the Planet. My purpose is to purge the Calamity from this world_, Ultima Weapon said. _All contaminated organisms must be purged_.

And then, Aerith knew that its attention was now on Harry. No, Harry and Cloud. **_All_**_ contaminated organisms_, Ultima Weapon repeated. _There are four sources here: the Jenova creature, the last of the Shinras, the Broken Man, and the Scarred Boy. They all must die_.

Aerith's eyes widened. _No! Why? We can cure them, we can purge the Jenova cells from their bodies, we can…_

_You are a traitor to your own kind_, the Weapon said contemptuously. _You lured the Jenova creature out here merely to strengthen it, as an ally against its offspring. But you cannot change such a creature. It will turn on you the instant it thinks it has the upper hand. And you cannot remove the Jenova cells, save by death. They will return to the Lifestream. There is happiness in that, to return to the Planet. That is your Promised Land. So why do you deny others that gift?_

Aerith glared at the creature. _Death is a gift? Maybe for one who is prepared for it…but Harry has barely begun to live._

_I do not understand. There are people dying all over your world, some younger than the boy, and yet, you care not for them(_4).

The Weapon's words hit her hard. But Aerith gritted her teeth. _But do you? Do you care for anything?_

_Only my purpose. I am Weapon. My purpose is all that matters._

_Then I pity you,_ Aerith said. _But if it is a choice between you killing Harry and Cloud, and anyone else who has the taint of Jenova through no fault of their own, and my opposing you, well, there is no choice._

The colour leeched back into the world, as did time and movement. Ultima Weapon, however, had more to say. _Then you are a traitor to the Planet, and to your people. And you __**will**__ be destroyed_.

Almost immediately, Ultima Weapon fired a blast of energy from the crystalline sphere set in its body. Aerith dived to the side, before saying, _You're just as bad as Sephiroth. No, even worse. At least he wanted to become more than he was!_

The Weapon, enraged, charged forward, only for Jenova to charge forward, her body changing into the armoured fighting form she had assumed on the _Highwind_. With a distorted cry of rage, she leapt high, and drove a bladed arm deep into one of Ultima Weapon's eyes. "_You're stagnant, Weapon!_" Jenova screamed. "_You stayed still for two millennia, but I AM EVOLUTION EMBODIED!_"

Ultima Weapon batted Jenova away, but then, it was hit by a blast of Holy energy. Aerith heard Ultima Weapon bellow, _Alexander, you betray me?!_

_I am at the call of the summoner, Weapon, and even then, you overreach your purpose_, the Holy Citadel answered. Aerith realised that Harry had followed her out.

_These humans are ruining the world!_ Ultima Weapon bellowed. _They are a sickness unto the Planet! We Weapons are the remedy, and they shall be returned to the Lifestream!_

With that, it flew into the air, looked down at them all, and then snarled, _A different stratagem is in order._ With that, a beam hit the ground.

Suddenly, the very ground beneath them began to shake. A crack appeared beneath them, and with a collective scream, Harry, Aerith, Rufus, and Jenova all fell down into the crevasse…

* * *

Sirius watched it happen, and was out of the clinic by the time he saw the beam hit the ground. But he was too late, not even to try and reach for Harry's hand before the boy fell screaming into the crack. He stared down at the bottom, where a glowing green liquid was present. He could just see the ripples from where the others had fallen.

He got to his feet and bellowed at the Weapon, "YOU BASTARD! HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH ALREADY?!"

As if mocking him, the Weapon fired its beam once more, hitting the ground immediately before the clinic. The entire building tilted and slid into the depths of the earth.

_Cloud_…Sirius thought. _Tifa_…

The Weapon roared in triumph, and then flew away, leaving Sirius kneeling, in shock, amongst the detritus of the tremors.

It was how the others from the _Highwind_ found him not long afterwards, crying, and murmuring, "Harry…"

**CHAPTER 20 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, how's this for a cliffhanger? I wanted to have a plausible reason for Harry and the others to enter the Lifestream, and decided that Ultima Weapon, in its overzealous attempts to purge the Jenova-infected, decides to simply dump them in the Lifestream. Of course, as ****_Advent Children_**** shows with Geostigma, this is a bad idea, but Ultima Weapon doesn't know this.**

**I decided to give Ultima Weapon a voice, and I was inspired partly by the Reapers from ****_Mass Effect_****, as well as Gregg Landsmann's portrayal of Zeruel in his ****_Neon Genesis Evangelion_**** fanfic ****_Nobody Dies_****. Ultima Weapon isn't properly speaking fully evil, more like a self-righteous intelligent machine that doesn't care about individual lives. You know how, in Dumbledore-bashing fics, he's almost always about the Greater Good? Ultima Weapon is all about that, only more direct and violent.**

**As for Jenova acting like a scared little girl, she is scared of what is effectively oblivion for her. Like I said in-story, should she be utterly destroyed, her consciousness will swiftly be consumed or contained by Sephiroth's.**

**1\. Vincent has to know that Hojo is Sephiroth's father, doesn't he?**

**2\. I thought that this was the primary reason for Ultima Weapon. Why else would it attack Mideel? The other two main Weapons of the game (aside from Ruby and Emerald) do attack Shinra facilities, believing them to be threats to the Planet, but why does Ultima attack Mideel, a small pimple of a village? I decided that it wanted to kill Cloud, who had Jenova cells in him. This is almost definitely non-canon, but hey, why can't I do something like this?**

**3\. An echo both of Sephiroth's last words in ****_Advent Children_****, as well as the lyrics of that film's version of ****_One-Winged Angel_****.**

**4\. A modification of a similar line from ****_Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet_****. The Cyberleader dismisses the fate of two astronauts that a spaceflight control base are trying to save. Polly, a companion of the Doctor's, demands to know if they care. When the Cyberman asks why it should, Polly tells him that they're going to die. The Cyberleader replies "I do not understand you. There are people dying all over your world, but you do not care about them."**

**CHAPTER 20 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Ultima Weapon Attacks!****: ****_An Emergency_****, from ****_Resident Evil 5_****, composed by Kota Suzuki. I thought this bombastic theme a rather more appropriate battle theme for Ultima Weapon. This is, by the way, the battle theme against the Uroboros creatures.**

**The Cetra and the Weapon****: ****_Trail of Blood_**** (FTG).**

**Ultima Weapon, the Rage Quitter****: ****_The Legendary Beast_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VIII_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I thought that this suited Ultima Weapon flying up, and blasting parts of Mideel into the Lifestream. I thought the name good too…**


	25. Episode 5 News and Preview

**EPISODE 5 NEWS AND PREVIEW**

Holy crap, the views are over 9000! Over 12000, more to the point. I just couldn't resist the meme. Go figure. And over 100 follows. Not bad for a fanfic that's not even a month old.

Anyway, episode 4 is posted, and episode 5 is finished, but in very rough form. However, it's going to be a while before I can get around to polishing it and posting it. Real life has intervened, as I have feared, and I have to put the fanfic on the backburner for now. So you guys are going to have to wait somewhat longer until I bring the next instalment out. The same goes for my other main fanfic, _Hooked on a Feeling_. So be patient. I know that's a dirty word on the internet, patience, but please be patient. You got 20 chapters, about 40-50 thousand words of story (not counting author's notes, etc) within a few weeks. That should be more than enough for the moment.

I'm concluding this part of the story after episode 7 (unless circumstances force me to write another episode), but an interquel, _Birthday_, will have events around Harry's 11th birthday, and bring some of the Potterverse characters into the _Final Fantasy VII_ universe. The part based on the first _Harry Potter_ book will be called _Harry Gainsborough and the Philosopher's Stone_, as Harry will be adopted by Aerith and Elmyra.

I'll say it again: while there will be discussion of character flaws, there will be little bashing, if at all, when the Potterverse characters enter the story in earnest. Dumbledore won't be an evil utilitarian bastard, Ron won't be practically a Death Eater, steeped in bigotry and idiocy, etc. Draco and Snape will be the nasty pieces of work they are in the story, but the latter, certainly, will become a better person, partly because the circumstances under which he and Harry first meet are different.

Anyway, review-answering time… 

**BoredomPersonified**: I wanted to give Jenova some personality. Sephiroth, for all his being a great villain and all, is a bit monolithic at times. I wanted Jenova to have more of a personality. She's a hybrid of many other characters, and given how Jenova cells absorb memories and personalities, it does make sense that she is a hybrid. Some of her personality she probably got from Hojo. This story will be about her character changing, though, amongst other things. Will she go to Earth? Wait and see.

Yes, Harry gets a weapon. I was having trouble thinking about which one when your review was posted, but while writing chapter 24, I hit upon the weapon of choice. It may surprise some fans of _Final Fantasy VII_, as it is one used by one of the characters. Sirius also gets a weapon.

I originally thought about having Jenova manipulate Harry with maternal feelings, but his discovery of who she really was, combined with her taking on a body of her own, scuppered that. In fact, the story will be more about how Harry is influencing Jenova than the other way around. Not only that, but a major revelation about Jenova awaits in chapter 21, one that is potentially very plausible, given the mythos of the story. This revelation will shape her character. 

**lokarryn**: It exasperated me how many of these crossovers between _Harry Potter_ and _Final Fantasy VII_ were slashfics. As I said before, a Harry/Marlene pairing isn't happening. I'm strongly considering a Harry/Luna pairing, and I have a rather interesting secret about Luna in mind… 

**Kira Akuma**: It might be interesting to have Cait Sith around Hogwarts. Of course, electronics technically shouldn't work around magic, but Cait Sith USES magic: he uses Materia and Limit Breaks, and he was sent into the Core of the Planet with all the interference from Mako and the like.

Jenova, as of yet, doesn't quite care for Harry. There is a very, very small core of affection, but once she didn't need his body, her need for any remote pretence has gone. That being said, she considers him, as well as the rest of AVALANCHE, useful: she wants to help them defeat Sephiroth, albeit for selfish reasons. But time will tell whether that changes. See above for details.

Ultima Weapon gives you the creeps? Wow, never had that reaction before. I'm honoured to have such a reaction to my version of a character. I wanted to create a sentient, but utterly implacable force. I had to wonder what the Weapons were thinking, targeting the places they did. Ultima Weapon is basically a sentient and overzealous white blood cell who doesn't care that his targets are sentient. He has his purpose, and will stick to it no matter what. The other Weapons have variations on the same personality. Diamond Weapon will also make his thoughts clear, and he is somewhat different to Ultima Weapon…

Actually, I had a bit of inspiration. I think Ultima Weapon would be best voiced by Gabriel Woolf. He played two rather dark roles in _Doctor Who_: Sutekh in _Pyramids of Mars_, and the Beast in _The Impossible Planet _and _The Satan Pit_. It's the latter I had in mind, as it sounds deeper and darker than Sutekh. 

**Blackholelord**: Harry will have Materia, as well as Limit Breaks. Harry, and a few members of AVALANCHE, will have the ability to travel between the Planet and Earth more or less freely. A number of the Harry Potter characters will also get the same ability. Seven characters from the Potterverse will come to the Planet in the planned interquel, _Birthday_, as mentioned above. And yes, I am hoping to do my own version of the events of _Advent Children_, as well as _Dirge of Cerberus_. Assuming I get that far… 

**Mangahero18**: Perhaps later in the story, we WILL see Jenova eat a Dementor. She's just crazy enough to try it, and potentially strong enough to do it. She'd probably get indigestion from the experience, though. 

Anyway, episode 5 preview away! Imagine this playing to _The Doctor's Theme_ (from the first two series of the new version of _Doctor Who_). 

_I am curled up alone in my prison. It's so dark in here, so very, very dark. I am alone. I will always be alone._

* * *

_And there it was, on the horizon. Round Island._

_Within hours, while the helicopter hovered overhead, and a brief trek through a forest, Scarlet found her prize. At first, she was disappointed. It seemed to be only a single Summon Materia. It wasn't until she began examining it that she began to get excited. The power of this Materia was enormous, greater even than any Huge Materia. The consumption of energy was enormous as well, but this Materia would probably annihilate anyone it attacked._

_An evil grin split her face. This Materia now gave her the power she truly desired…_

* * *

_I remember screams. A green light. Pain. A pain that sears at my soul. Faces of all kinds. Cold night. And now, this. This eternity of misery._

* * *

_He looked at his creation. Cait Sith was semi-autonomous. There was an AI in there, and a quite advanced one, but Reeve could take over at any time if he wanted to._

_With a rueful sigh, he thought that this was not unlike what Sephiroth had done to Cloud, occasionally taking the young man over when it suited his purposes._

_Trying to avoid thinking about things like that, Reeve asked, "Cait Sith, what's the news at Mideel?"_

_"Well, Weapon, the one that attacked us when we left Junon, it came to Mideel while we were away. Damn near killed those left there. Apparently it was after those with Jenova cells. Aerith, the wee laddy Harry, Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus, along with Jenova, ended up falling through a crevasse into the Lifestream."_

* * *

_I have been here for a very long time. Almost an eternity in the cold and the dark. I don't even know my name any more._

* * *

_The Huge Materia wasn't just a weapon, nestled within the rocket, though. It was bait. Bait to draw her enemies out of hiding after the Turks' defection. If Scarlet was lucky, then she might be able to capture or even kill much of AVALANCHE and Rufus' allies in one fell swoop._

_All she had to do was wait…_

* * *

_I know the truth now. They were liars. Vicious, petty liars. I was a hero to a world that left me in the worst situation. So what does that say about those who left me there?_

* * *

_On the _Highwind_, the others watched on in horror as the rocket roared towards the skies. "__**No!**__" Elmyra yelled. _

_But the admonishment had no effect on the pitiless metal lance that soared towards the heavens. It flew into space, with only its purpose in mind, set for it by others._

_Everyone on the _Highwind_ watched numbly as the rocket shrank, flying into the skies, and taking their comrades with it. And, perhaps, all of their hopes…_

* * *

_Suddenly, the prison shakes. Everything around me begins to heat up. I begin screaming, but there is nobody to hear. And then, suddenly, oblivion._

_But not for long._

* * *

_"I heard the chatter from Shinra," Shera said. "I heard you might be coming here. You…you got your dream, didn't you?"_

_Cid nodded, weakly. "Shera…I'm…I'm sorry. I blamed you for killing my dream…but I killed it…to save you. But it's not worth throwing your life away!"_

* * *

_No, it's not fair! I_ **saved** _them!_

* * *

_Panting, someone came running out of the mist. A very familiar someone. Minerva turned to face the newcomer with a wry smile. "You're late. This will go on your record, you know."_

_"Yeah, well, sorry, I was held up during my recon mission." He panted with exhaustion (an intriguing feat, for someone who clearly didn't need to breathe any more), before straightening._

* * *

_My sanity was hanging by threads. In truth, it had already snapped._

_I had made hard decisions before. I will again._

* * *

_"__There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess__," spoke a voice solemnly. "__Heroes of the dawn, healers of worlds.__"_

_The young man getting to his feet frowned. "I know that voice. And that quotation…" Getting to his feet, he yelled, "Show yourself, Genesis!"_

* * *

_They had no right to resist! I had earned the right to survive! I must survive! Or else it meant nothing!_

* * *

_Sirius paced up and down the rocket's cockpit, trying to calm himself. He could see Meteor approaching on the screens. If he screwed up now, he was going to die. _

_"James, Lily…if I mess up…make sure to get ready. 'Cause here I come..." Sirius closed his eyes, and concentrated…_


	26. Resumption News

**RESUMPTION NEWS!**

Okay, a quick update for you all. I said earlier that real life got in the way of _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_. That's over and done with (I thought it might take longer, but thankfully, not), but a few ideas for two new fanfics got in the way. One is another Harry Potter crossover, this one with _F.E.A.R_. _Lux in Tenebris Lucet_ has already gotten over 2000 views in less than a week. If you don't mind a darker kind of HP fanfic, albeit one that still has a lot of hope in it, give it a whirl. It's about the odd friendship between Harry Potter and an imprisoned psychic girl called Alma Wade, and how they finally meet in person during the events of _The Goblet of Fire_.

I also started what seems to be the very first _Blake's 7_ and _Mass Effect_ crossover on this website. _Short Change Heroes_ won't be continuing any time soon, but I do intend to expand on it later.

Anyway, I'm back to working on _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_. It'll still be some time before I post Episode 5, as I have only finished the first two chapters of Episode 6. But they're real doozies. They can be summed up in five words. Jenova. Hojo. Scarlet. Proud-Clad. And yes, I am calling it that, not Proud Clod. Who calls their awesome super-mecha a 'clod'? Oh, and Harry uses another Limit Break. So, it'll be good times for all.

I'm amazed that this fanfic has gotten over 16K views. Dayum…

Now, to answer the reviews…

**Guest (assuming that this is all from the same guy):** I do sort of remember that whole thing with Petunia swinging at him with a frying pan. Not much, though. And thanks for the praise regarding Sephiroth's line in Chapter 10. It sounded like the right sort of thing for him to say. I can just imagine George Newbern saying that.

In many ways, Aerith took the initiative in the game. It was she who came up with the idea of infiltrating Don Corneo's mansion. She also tries to break Barrett (unsuccessfully) out of his mood at the Golden Saucer. She takes the initiative in going to pray for Holy. People forget that she wasn't always demure and pleasant and pure. Becoming a big brother to Harry has probably enhanced her natural authority.

When you say *cackles* about Chapter 18, I wonder if you're talking about Dumbledore nearly choking on a lemon drop, or over Cait Sith winning a catfight with Scarlet?

**KiraAkuma**: Wow. Not sure I wanna know what memories I inadvertently unearthed with my portrayal of Ultima Weapon.

As for Jenova, yes, she would. There are still Jenova cells within Harry, left behind, and enough to carry her consciousness. Of course, when Ultima Weapon attacked, she knew that it would also try to kill Harry (and Rufus, who is, remember, also infected). Her consciousness would then automatically go to the nearest large concentration of Jenova cells, and that would be Sephiroth, or Sephiroth-controlled Jenova cells. And that would end badly for her.

As for her developing emotions, it's good to give a somewhat more deep personality to villains who are normally quite two-dimensional. A startling revelation about her true nature, as I said, will be revealed in Chapter 21, and I have just written a speech for her in Chapter 27 as she confronts Hojo that reveals the beginning of a more heroic nature. She'll still be somewhat monstrous, but she'll be firmly on the side of angels, even if she isn't one herself.

Anyway, time for another preview to keep you all sated until I finally post Episode 5. The prior preview had a lack of Harry in it, partly because I wanted to do that whole 'keeping you in suspense about his fate' thing you get with cliffhangers, but if you've played the game, then you know him and the others are all right. Which is why this preview is not a 'trailer' type, but rather, a sort of sample scene. This is the opening scene of Chapter 24, where the question of what weapon Harry gets is answered. I'm posting this partly to keep you guys sated, and partly because I know the weapon choice will spark quite a bit of debate.

Enjoy!

_"What about this one?" Sirius asked, holding up a massive object by the handle._

_"I can't lift that!" Harry complained._

_"Sirius, we're __**not **__giving Harry a Buster Sword," Aerith said in quiet exasperation. "One, he is too young. Two, he's not going to be able to lift it."_

_"Three," drawled Reno with a sardonic smirk on his features, "they'd think that you're compensatin' for something."_

_"Reno!" Aerith gasped, scandalised._

_"I'm just sayin'," the Turk said with a shrug._

_"Compensating for what?" Harry asked._

_"You'll learn that when you're older," Sirius said. A lech he may be, but he didn't want to be one that much in front of Harry. He was his godson after all. Besides, there was such a thing as good taste. Sirius would wait until Harry was older before he let that particular mask drop._

_The three of them were currently in the small but cluttered armoury of the _Highwind_, alongside Reno, who was keeping an eye on them. They were trying to find a suitable weapon for Harry, who had insisted that he wanted to help fight, and they needed something beyond Materia. Sirius also wanted a weapon. _

_Neither had wands, and wands were virtually absent from arsenals across the Planet. But Sirius was getting the hang of Materia, practising using the crystalline orbs. He found them easier than using wands. But he was also savvy enough to find a back-up weapon. The problem with most wizards and witches is that they considered a wand the be-all and end-all of combat. Few mastered wandless magic, and few bothered to use any weapons that didn't use magic. Of course, he knew that his cousin Bella had a knife as a back-up at times. She may sneer at Muggles, but she was willing to fight like one if necessary._

_Sirius grumbled sullenly. "If we were back home, I'd have just taken you to Ollivander's for a wand. Or there's that shop in Knockturn Alley. I could've always Apparated you in and out…" _

_"Apparated?" Aerith asked._

_"Muggles call it teleportation. Instant travel to any part of the world that you have been to and can visualise. There's a few catches: it's bloody uncomfortable, and if you're not careful, you can leave bits of yourself behind. They call it splinching. I remember reading a book by some Muggle by the name of Douglas Adams who said some nasty things about teleporting, and frankly, Apparition is a bit like that. I wonder if he was actually a Squib." Sirius grinned as he saw something. "Ah-ha!"_

_Harry stared. Sirius was wielding a large crossbow, except it seemed to have a cylindrical magazine full of bolts. "I…I dunno whether I can handle that."_

_"That's fine, Pup. I was thinking of taking this for myself," Sirius grinned. "I saw something like this in one of the cabinets back home: an autocrossbow. Like a machine gun, only with crossbow bolts. You pull the trigger and hang on." Then, he noticed something else. Fishing around in the small pile of weapons, he plucked something out. "Hey, Reno or whatever your name is, how do you feel about Harry stealing your schtick?" He then showed what he had in his hand: an electro-rod. "Or more to the point, your stick?"_

_Reno raised an eyebrow, before drawling, "Y'know, I'd feel rather hurt. Hey, that's not a bad model, actually. Looks to be another one like my old one. Even has the Pyramid functionality. C'mon, kid. I'll show you how to fight with it. We have a few minutes before we get to Nibelheim…"_


	27. Chapter 21: Genesis of Minerva

**_Before we begin…_**

_Okay, I'm pretty sure you all are getting impatient for the next episode. So, here it is. However, I am yet to finish Episode 6, having completed only three of the five chapters. Once I'm done with that one and polishing it, it will be posted. But you may have to wait for the seventh and concluding chapter of this particular book of the fanfic._

_Enjoy!_

**EPISODE 5:**

**PICKING UP THE PIECES**

_All great truths begin as blasphemies._

_-George Bernard Shaw_

**CHAPTER 21:**

**GENESIS OF MINERVA**

_I am curled up alone in my prison. It's so dark in here, so very, very dark. I am alone. I will always be alone._

_I remember screams. A green light. Pain. A pain that sears at my soul. Faces of all kinds. Cold night. And now, this. This eternity of misery._

_I have been here for a very long time. Almost an eternity in the cold and the dark. I don't even know my name any more._

_Suddenly, the prison shakes. Everything around me begins to heat up. I begin screaming, but there is nobody to hear. And then, suddenly, oblivion._

_But not for long._

_I emerge from my prison, a womb of rock and stone. I find myself assuming a strange shape, but one suited to my grandeur. But something is wrong with the air. The Lifestream here, as it curls around the wound created by my arrival…it is so alien…so different._

_No, it's not fair! I_ saved _them! I undertook the Last Sanction, I unleashed the Gatherer and his Herald to harvest the survivors, make them become one with me so that we may find another world to continue…a shining future, where there had been none at all. And I arrived here, where there's already life?(__1)_

_I couldn't do it again. Even if I was physically able to make the long trek across the dark, I couldn't do it again. My sanity was hanging by threads. In truth, it had already snapped._

_I had made hard decisions before. I will again. As the native people approach, I know what I must do. In life, there is always the consumed and the consumer. The food and the eater._

_The prey, and the predator._

_First, I am subtle, entrancing them with illusions, before infecting them with my cells. Then, when they begin to fight back, I turn them and animals into my warriors. They had no right to resist! I had earned the right to survive! I must survive! Or else it meant nothing!_

_Battles waged. Battles won. Battles lost. The Cetra manage to stop me, my main mass, even when so many of my cells are scattered across the world in the form of monsters. They named me Jeh-Nohva, Calamity from the Skies. And their punishment was to be the cruellest of them all._

_They wanted to entomb me, once more, in a prison of stone._

_I screamed and struggled, as, without remorse, they sealed me into the rock. And in the darkness, time and isolation erodes at my sanity and memories until all that's left is I, and the desire to consume._

_Then, after what felt like an eternity, the light of day once more. I exchanged one prison for another, rock and stone for glass and drugged oxygenated liquid. They take parts of me piecemeal, while I stare at them. Eventually, I learn the language of a new world, separated from that of the Cetra not by distance but by time. Of scientists, of electricity, of Shinra. I learn the names of my tormentors: Hojo, Gast, Lucrezia…_

_And then, they give me new children. Genesis, Angeal…Sephiroth…_

_I feel Nibelheim burn from a distance, and find it good. I meet my son, properly, for the first time. But he believes me to be an Ancient, a Cetra. I am so much more than they are._

_I watch him being attacked by a boy with spiky blond hair. I feel the strange sensation of having my head removed by Sephiroth. During another confrontation with the boy, we fall into the depths of the Mako Reactor…_

_…And there, I try to take control. Only to find that, in his madness, Sephiroth has a strength far beyond anything I have encountered. And I am so much less than I once was…_

* * *

_I grew up in a cage, while scientists poked and prodded at me. I've…made my peace with that. But I never forget. I remember the perpetual leer on Hojo's face. He enjoyed having power over me and my mother. I remember him occasionally drugging my mother, and taking her away. I'm not sure what he did, but I have my suspicions(__2)__. _

_My mother…that was the worst thing about that whole ordeal. Not the pain of the experiments and endless sample-taking. I could see her dying in her eyes, as the life and vitality drained out of them. Only a small ember remained by the time we finally escaped, her desperate desire to protect me finally fuelling a Limit Break that destroyed all monitors and security devices within the Shinra labs. She beat back the troopers sent to stop our escape with Limit Break after Limit Break, even though she was forcing these Limit Breaks to occur. And to do so ruined the body._

_We got to a train, and took it down. It was at the terminus at Sector Seven that my mother began to succumb, blood trickling from every orifice. I knew she was dying, and while she told me that she was returning to the Planet, I didn't want her to die!_

_I lost a mother that day. And while I gained a new one…it was still perhaps the worst day of my life._

* * *

_I remember the day I lost my mother. I…don't like to think about it._

_My father…he often had a short temper. He was always calm at work, I noticed, when he took me there to teach him about his work, but at home, behind closed doors, he took out his anger on my mother._

_I can't even remember her name now. God, that's atrocious. I think my father beat it out of me._

_He certainly beat the life out of my mother. Even now, I only remember it in fragments. I remember her screaming, him screaming, calling her useless. Her blood sliding down the wall. My father's face, florid, his eyes, bloodshot._

_He bullies me into silence._

_You ever see a Blizzaga spell at work? How the enemy just gets…encased in ice? That's what happened to my heart that day. It was Little Rufus who closed his eyes, crying for his mother. It was Rufus Shinra who opened them again._

* * *

_I didn't learn my name until I went to school. I was called Freak or Boy. It was only then that I was told my name was Harry Potter._

_I lived in a cupboard under the stairs. They told me my parents were worthless, useless, and so was I. I had to earn my keep. They made me work like a servant. No, a __**slave**__. A servant gets paid._

_They kept me oppressed. They continually told me there was no such thing as magic, exploding at me if I dared to even hint at contradicting them._

_I know the truth now. They were liars. Vicious, petty liars. I was a hero, and so were my parents. But…I was a hero because I lived when my parents didn't. I was a hero to a world that left me in the worst situation. They may have been my relatives, but they were also selfish, evil, and petty. So what does that say about those who left me there?_

* * *

_Our worst day was the day our home was consumed by fire and madness. Of the day our lives changed forever. That our parents died on the sword of a madman who had once been a hero. That we nearly died the same way. The day when gaping holes were left in our hearts, and anything we could use was used to fill in the void._

* * *

Harry was the first to wake up, struggling to get to his feet. He found himself in the middle of a green field, filled with flowers. Beautiful, white flowers. Scattered around him, on all sides, were the bodies of the others: Jenova, Aerith, Rufus, Cloud, and Tifa.

The sky was not a blue, but a scintillating green that seemed to writhe and dance in ribbons. The field of flowers itself seemed to be surrounded by a ever-shifting green mist. "Lifestream," Harry muttered.

He remembered the nightmares he had felt, but he knew that they weren't nightmares. Memories. He should know. One lot was his own. He had heard of Aerith's, Tifa's, and Cloud's before. But seeing Rufus and Jenova's was a real shock. Rufus had seen his mother die, murdered at the hands of his own father. And Jenova…

Jenova had once been like Minerva, the embodiment of the consciousness of another world. She had fled her world, with everything she could salvage of the Lifestream of her world…and ended up here, on a world so alien, and her mind destroyed by isolation and the impact…that she was determined to make her new home here at any cost.

They all had suffered loss. Save for Jenova, they had all lost parents to the actions of madmen. Harry had shared with Jenova and Aerith the trauma of isolation and imprisonment. And like Jenova and Aerith, he was amongst the last of his kind in this world.

"_There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess,_" spoke a voice solemnly. "_Heroes of the dawn, healers of worlds._(3)"

Rufus, who was also beginning to get to his feet, frowned. "I know that voice. And that quotation…" Getting to his feet, he yelled, "Show yourself, Genesis!"

A soft chuckle. "_I haven't been a member of SOLDIER for a long time, and you are a deposed king, Rufus. I do not take orders from you. Though I am pleased that you remember me. So few people do nowadays, even as a monster._"

"Who is this…Genesis?" Harry asked. The name sounded familiar, but it was from a long time ago. Or so it felt.

Aerith was the next to get up. "My father mentioned him in that recording at Icicle Inn. Another product of the Jenova Project, like Sephiroth."

"_My reputation precedes me_," the voice said wryly after another soft chuckle. Then, out of the mist emerged an extraordinary figure. Tall and graceful, dressed in a long, red leather coat. His features seemed eternally youthful and refined, his hair a mess of reddish brown. A single black wing protruded from his back. "I am Genesis Rhapsodos. What is left of him, anyway."

Jenova was on her feet by this time, along with Cloud and Tifa. "Another monster born of my cells," she remarked. "The world has rather too many monsters for my liking."

"Are we dead?" Cloud asked.

"I don't think so," Aerith said.

"No, you're not," Genesis confirmed.

"A shame. I was hoping for something better on the other side(4)," Rufus remarked acidly.

Another voice, feminine and authoritative, rang out. "You are lucky to be alive and sane, Rufus Shinra. At the moment, your body is currently within the Lifestream. The memories and souls of billions upon billions of people and other life are sleeting through you."

"Oh great, the boss lady's here," Genesis said, wryly.

Out from the mist stepped a blond-haired woman in elaborate armour. Aerith and Harry, of course, had met her before. They immediately bowed. Jenova seemed both frightened and defiant. Rufus, Cloud, and Tifa were merely puzzled.

"Minerva…" Jenova whispered. "You…you…"

"Whatever curses and epithets you are about to apply to me, Calamity, can be applied to you over a thousandfold and more," Minerva said haughtily, before her hard gaze softened. "And yet…once, it seems, you were like me. The guiding consciousness of another world. One that also had the Omega Sanction."

"The what?" Rufus asked.

Minerva gave him a rather haughty glance. "When the Planet is in the worst danger, Omega Weapon, and his herald, Chaos, are summoned. Omega draws the Lifestream into itself. And Chaos helps make sure that no scrap of Mako gets left behind."

Aerith, realising what Minerva meant, whispered, "By killing everything on the Planet…"

"Or at least what is left of them," Minerva said solemnly. "It is only in the gravest of crises that Omega and Chaos wake. Once filled with Mako, Omega departs the Planet with its burden for a new world, leaving the old one devoid of life and consciousness. From what I saw of her memories, for this very first time, I think that Jenova was like me, the consciousness of a distant world, but driven mad by a journey through the dark oceans of space. Or perhaps she is a fusion of that consciousness, as well as that of the equivalents of Omega and Chaos. You poor, poor creature."

"I don't need your pity, or your condescension!" Jenova snarled. "Your pet monster tried to murder me!"

"Does a human have control over every part of their body?" Minerva asked pointedly. "Can they make their immune system work just by thinking about it? And for all the misery you have inflicted on the Planet and on its peoples, greater even than this would-be king has caused," she waved a gauntleted hand at Rufus, "you yourself deserve death and more. But I do not think that these people deserve death for merely having your cells within you. And…perhaps it may be worthwhile to allow you to live. I do know that your desire to destroy Sephiroth is sincere, even if your reasons are selfish. And there is hope for you. A small hope, but it is there. The Lifestream re-awoke memories long lost in you. Indeed, all of you are blessed." She looked at them all. "Aerith and Harry could survive Mako poisoning, by dint of being Ancients. The Cetra Heritage is strong in them. Jenova is a being accustomed to Mako Energy. It is thanks to these three that you others are able to be here, and stay sane. The last time you were exposed, Cloud and Tifa, it nearly killed you."

"Will we be okay? And still sane?" Tifa asked.

"Of course. Ultima Weapon has already left Mideel. It believes the Lifestream will dissolve you into your essence. I will not let that happen."

"Well, that's good," Cloud said, rubbing the back of his head. "No offence Minerva, ma'am, your highness, but I can say from experience, Mako poisoning is highly overrated."

Minerva chuckled. "It is, isn't it? But it is the very essence of life and knowledge, Cloud. And for all your faults, you are a good man. All of you have the capacity for good, or else I would not be speaking to you. Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and Harry, you have all fought for me before, and I have confidence that you will do so again. Jenova, I hope that one day, we will not be in competition. And Rufus…there are many other ways to create power than Mako and tyranny. You are not your father. Your desire for power is to make sure that you are not powerless ever again, not out of greed."

"Oh, spare me the divine psychotherapy," Rufus sneered.

"Better watch it, Rufus," Genesis said with a smirk. "On Harry's world, Minerva has a namesake. Sheer coincidence, but she's the goddess of war there. She's giving you a gift, the ability to make your own future. Try not to abuse it, yes?"

Minerva nodded. "There is one thing I trust you all to do: stop Sephiroth, and allow Holy to destroy Meteor. This, I charge you with."

The sextet, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, nodded, but as they turned to leave, they heard a breathless, "Wait!"

Panting, someone came running out of the mist. A very familiar someone. Minerva turned to face the newcomer with a wry smile. "You're late. This will go on your record, you know."

"Yeah, well, sorry, I was held up during my recon mission." He panted with exhaustion (an intriguing feat, for someone who clearly didn't need to breathe any more), before straightening.

Three of those present had met him, while a fourth knew of him from dossiers. The SOLDIER uniform, the spiky black hair, the boyish and cheerful face. Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith, along with Rufus, recognised him as SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair.

"Zack!" Aerith yelled. She threw herself at him, and embraced him.

"Hey, hey…it's okay, Aerith. God, how long has it been? Five years, for both you and Tifa, anyway." He looked up at Cloud and Tifa. "Hey, Cloud. Saw what you've been doing."

"Oh. Uhh…"

"Look, don't worry about it. You've been trying. I never said being my living legacy was going to be easy, did I?"

"No. And it isn't," Cloud admitted, sheepishly. "But I want to stop Sephiroth. For Nibelheim. For my mother."

"For my father," Tifa said.

Zack smiled. "Wish I could be there with you, but, well, we're getting something together as a back-up plan against Meteor. Probably won't work, but hey, gotta try, right?" He looked at Harry. "And you're Harry Potter. Minerva told me a lot about you."

Harry wasn't sure what to make of that remark. "Oh. So you're the guy who Cloud had memories of?"

"That's right. SOLDIER 1st Class, Zack Fair." He looked up. His expression was a bit more guarded towards Jenova, and Rufus. "Anyway, the best of luck to you all. You'll need it. Sephiroth's way stronger than he was back at Nibelheim. Like I said, wish I could be there with you, but, well, I'm dead, and Genesis' body is entombed. So…like I said, good luck."

With that, the sextet found themselves drifting away. But as they did so, they heard Minerva's voice one last time. "_Remember, you are the hope of the Planet…_"

* * *

Being the head of Shinra had more than a few perks, Scarlet realised. It meant now that she was able to justify an expedition that she had been planning for some time, but Rufus and his father had always shot it down. Namely, to the famed Round Island, a legendary island supposedly the site of the Valiant Round(5). Rumour had it that powerful Materia was situated there.

While all the military aircraft were grounded thanks to Reeve, aircraft not affiliated with the air-force were not, and a long distance flight in a long-range helicopter was doing well. She could trust Heidegger and his people to re-assemble the Sister Ray at Midgar in her absence. The fat oaf was an imbecile, but he was competent enough to be trusted with that.

And there it was, on the horizon. Round Island.

Within hours, while the helicopter hovered overhead, and a brief trek through a forest, Scarlet found her prize. At first, she was disappointed. It seemed to be only a single Summon Materia. It wasn't until she began examining it that she began to get excited. The power of this Materia was enormous, greater even than any Huge Materia. The consumption of energy was enormous as well, but this Materia would probably annihilate anyone it attacked.

An evil grin split her face. This Materia now gave her the power she truly desired…

**CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, we look into the pasts of Jenova and Rufus. Keep in mind, I made this stuff up, but I wouldn't say that these scenarios are at all implausible. I was inspired to link Jenova and Omega Weapon (the ****_Dirge of Cerberus_**** version) just out of thin air. I don't know whether anyone else has thought of this idea.**

**It's also worth pointing out that Jenova's plight is not unlike that of the Phantoms from ****_Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within_****. That film shared more than a few story elements with ****_Final Fantasy VII_****. The Phantoms were, originally, lifeforms from another world that was consumed by a cataclysm, and a meteor from that cataclysm struck Earth. Sounds a lot like Jenova, doesn't it? Jenova, in her madness, considers herself a predator, but in truth, in this story at least, she's somewhat tragic.**

**I thought of the appearances of Genesis and Zack at the last minute. I decided Genesis, in spirit at least, acts now as the herald of Minerva, while Zack is one of the footsoldiers. In absence of Aerith dying, they are working on the same plan: to use the Lifestream to boost Holy and destroy Meteor, hopefully without killing off humanity.**

**Oh, and Scarlet has tracked down Knights of the Round. Well, crap.**

**1\. One wonders, if Omega succeeded in transplanting the Lifestream onto another world, what would happen to the life already there? I'd assume there'd be safeguards, but still…**

**2\. Earlier, I said that Hojo wasn't a paedophile. That being said, I wouldn't put it past him to attempt to rape Ifalna, partly because he's a psychopath who delights in causing misery to others, and partly because he probably wants another Cetra test subject to work on. This is a guy who subjected Lucrezia and their unborn child to infection with Jenova cells. I left the wording somewhat ambiguous, though, so I'll let you make up your mind.**

**3\. A modified quote from ****_Loveless_****, as quoted in ****_Crisis Core_****. I modified it to pluralise the people it is referring to.**

**4\. Another ****_Doctor Who_**** reference, this time to the story ****_Terminus_****.**

**5\. I couldn't call the organisation the Knights of the Round Table or just Knights of the Round. I decided to call it the Valiant Round.**

**CHAPTER 21 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Over Flashback Falls Without a Barrel****: ****_Who Am I?_**** (FTG)**

**Genesis and his Evangelion****: ****_Night of Seclusion_****, from ****_Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII_****, composed by Takeharu Ishimoto. This was listed, probably erroneously, as Genesis' theme from ****_Crisis Core_****, but after looking at other possibilities, I preferred this one. The name I gave to this track is not just a reference to ****_Neon Genesis Evangelion_****: an 'evangelion' can mean a gospel, or good news.**

**Minerva's Meadow****: ****_Flowers Blooming in the Church _****(FTG)**


	28. Chapter 22: Three Down, One to Go

**CHAPTER 22:**

**THREE DOWN, ONE TO GO**

Reeve Tuesti was no hero. He considered himself many things: an architect, an engineer, a programmer. But a hero? That was something out of stories. Heroes tended to die. Or become the next villain. Look at Genesis, or Sephiroth.

Reeve considered himself a man who did his best for the people. True, it was something he found harder and harder to believe, lately. But he had created the Mako Reactor at a young age to help people, to produce what he thought was clean, effective energy, not like the nuclear fission reactors or coal plants. It was why he agreed to work for Shinra, then a small power company. He was a man who like to help others. For all his genius, he was self-taught, something of a marverick (something that President Shinra never let him forget). This was why he had never left the company to work elsewhere. That, and resignations weren't accepted.

But people forgot that he was one of the foundation stones of Shinra. He was a computer programmer, an engineer, a roboticist, and an architect. He had been one of those responsible for making Midgar what it was today, and for all its faults, it was still a magnificent city. He had programmed for a significant portion of Shinra's computer systems. He could tell, at a glance, the structural weaknesses of a robot, or a room. And when a man like that is forced to become dangerous, he can be very dangerous indeed.

Which was why he was taking advantage of Scarlet's absence. She had gone on a trip to this Round Island she kept putting forward to the prior presidents. Reeve had a bad feeling about it, but he knew that this was his chance to do it.

Junon was still on high alert. Any attempt AVALANCHE would make to try and get the Huge Materia out of there would be dangerous. But he had managed to quickly formulate a plan that would allow him to do it himself.

Thanks to the Cait Sith running around Junon, he had a disguise as a Shinra trooper. The uniform stank of sweat and tobacco, but he could put up with it. He went into the reactor, having a PDA in his pocket, ready to activate a certain program. Said program would simulate an overload on the sensors in the reactor, and trigger an alert. Once the reactor was evacuated, he would get the Huge Materia on-board one of the Shinra subs. He knew that the subs had instruction manuals ever since that time Heidegger got drunk, sent it out of the dock, and woke up with a splitting hangover with the sub quiescent on the bottom of the ocean(1).

He thought it was going to be hard. As it turned out, it was ridiculously easy. The sirens sounded, and Reeve hid in an alcove, knowing that the security cameras would be undergoing a failure that would be attributed to an excess of Mako Energy. The first hard part was, frankly, getting the Huge Materia out of the Mako Reactor. He had to get the controls for the extraction system working. Once that was figured out, and the Huge Materia extracted, getting it to the sub was a doddle.

The second hard part was learning how to pilot the submarine. A fifteen-minute crash course later, however, and he was able to leave, making sure that the submarine bay doors were shut behind him.

Reeve smiled as he set the auto-pilot for Mideel. Cait Sith had already disabled a tracker, and hopefully, by the time Shinra had realised what had happened, he would already be most of the way to Mideel. So he sat down in the cockpit, while Cait Sith leapt up onto a nearby console, taking care not to tread on any buttons.

He looked at his creation. Cait Sith was semi-autonomous. There was an AI in there, and a quite advanced one, but Reeve could take over at any time if he wanted to.

With a rueful sigh, he thought that this was not unlike what Sephiroth had done to Cloud, occasionally taking the young man over when it suited his purposes.

Trying to avoid thinking about things like that, Reeve asked, "Cait Sith, what's the news at Mideel?"

"Well, Weapon, the one that attacked us when we left Junon, it came to Mideel while we were away. Damn near killed those left there. Apparently it was after those with Jenova cells. Aerith, the wee laddy Harry, Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus, along with Jenova, ended up falling through a crevasse into the Lifestream. It's pretty close to the surface at Mideel."

"Are they okay?"

"They've just fished them out, and miracles of miracles, they aren't sufferin' from Mako Poisoning. That Sirius guy was beside himself before they got Harry out. Probably he was tellin' the truth."

"Okay," Reeve said. "Tell Rufus, once he is ready, that I have the Junon Huge Materia. Tell them about Scarlet shipping the Sister Ray to Midgar." His PDA, set up to automatically send him news that he flagged, chirped. "Excuse me…" he said, frowning at it. Then, his eyes widened. "There's another problem. I thought Scarlet would try to transfer the Huge Materia from Nibelheim to Junon for evaluation using a cargo plane, but it seems she's intending on shipping it by land to Rocket Town. It seems Shinra has been getting the rocket ready after all."

Cait Sith nodded, before he frowned. "Reeve…what is yon thing on the sonar?"

Reeve's eyes widened, turning around. Whatever it was, it was too large to be a submarine. He activated one of the exterior cameras, and set it to Sonar view. A large shape appeared out of the dark, vast and squat. Thankfully, it seemed to be moving away, but Reeve didn't emit a sigh of relief. "Weapon," he muttered. "Or one of them."

"I remember seein' five of them emerge from the Crater," Cait Sith said. "Damn, but the sassanech is huge. I wouldn't want to fight that one. Or any of them. The one that attacked Mideel called itself Ultima Weapon, according to Aerith."

Reeve frowned. "Back in that incident with the first AVALANCHE, wasn't another Weapon awoken? Jade Weapon, if I recall?(2)"

"Yeah," Cait Sith said. "Maybe Hojo's personal files have something on it. Better avoid those things anyway." The robot cat stiffened. "Oh, wait a moment. The boss wants to say something. I'll patch him through."

Soon, the voice of Rufus spoke through Cait Sith. "Reeve…well done. I admit, I underestimated your initiative and skill. I'm sure Scarlet is thinking the same."

"Thank you, sir," Reeve said. Was it him, or was Rufus' voice subtly different? Not quite as cold as it once was. "I'm heading to Mideel, and…"

"No. Head to Costa del Sol. It's closer, and we're already on our way in the _Highwind_. We're heading to Rocket Town to try and intercept the last Huge Materia. There's a small bay you can dock the submarine in. Rufus out."

* * *

On the observation platform of the _Highwind_, Harry watched the world go by at speed. The past…week, was it? Had been full of exciting things. Deadly dangers, true, but to even experience this was far better than the cupboard under the stairs.

He remembered being pulled out of the lake of Mako that had opened up in the middle of Mideel, coughing up the liquid that had sustained his life. Everyone was so pleased to see him alive, and Harry was glad. He knew that if he died, the Dursleys would be apathetic at best, and at worst, elated.

But for the moment, he wanted some time to think to himself. To digest all he had seen and heard. Concepts that were just a bit too big for his young mind to accept.

Like Jenova and Rufus' pasts. How monsters aren't always born, they are made and shaped. That they weren't always monsters. Okay, he remembered what Minerva told him about Sephiroth when he first came to this world, but this was another matter entirely. In fact, with insight nobody his age should truly have, he could easily have started down the path Rufus Shinra has, given how the Dursleys treated him. And that thought made him shudder.

What defined evil? And what defined good? The world was not black and white, but full of shades and hues. Harry had known this to some degree for some time, but this was another matter entirely.

As he watched the ocean speed by beneath them, he felt someone come up next to him. He glanced to the side, and saw Cloud. Eventually, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I've been asking myself," Cloud said quietly, his words nearly lost over the sound of the wind and the airship's motors. "Why? Harry, I want to ask you something. Out of all of us, you probably have the least stake in this. Tifa and I…our quest to stop Sephiroth is personal. He destroyed our hometown and murdered our living parents. Vincent wants to atone for the mistakes of his past, and Jenova, from what I gather, wants revenge for Sephiroth trying to supplant her. The rest of us, we're trying to save the Planet. But you…you don't come from this world. Why do you want to fight?"

Why did he want to fight? Cloud's question pierced Harry to the core. Why DID he want to fight?

Was it because it was the right thing to do, to stop Sephiroth and Shinra? That would be the noble thing to say, but it wasn't right.

For some time, Harry looked down at the ocean speeding past them, before he finally came upon the answer. "…For a family to call my own," he said quietly. "Aerith was the first person I met who truly cared about me. Well, other than Minerva, and she's a goddess. But with Aerith, I have a big sister. You saw my memories. You saw how my so-called relatives treated me, and treated the memory of my parents. They were heroes, but my aunt and uncle called them drunks and dolescum, who deserved to die in a car crash." He then turned to face Cloud. "And you know what? Here, I have a better family than I have had for a long time."

Cloud looked down at Harry. Eventually, he rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "Look, Harry, I…crap, I'm not good at this. I…want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I was in a bad way, given everything that happened. And…if you want a family, I'll be your big brother."

For a moment, Harry wasn't sure what to do. Cloud's apology was a bit weak, to be honest. But the sincerity was there.

So the boy with the scarred forehead gave the SOLDIER a hug. Cloud froze, briefly, at contact he was unused to, before returning the embrace.

* * *

"I didn't know whether he'd say no," Aerith said quietly, as she and Tifa watched from the doorway of the observation deck.

"Yeah, well, Cloud's crap at apologies," Tifa said with a smile. "Unless they give out awards for sheer awkwardness." She looked to the young Cetra. "Those memories of you at Shinra…God, those were nasty…"

Aerith nodded. "And we each have had that happen. Look at Rufus, watching his mother die. Or what turned Jenova into a monster. And of course, there's what happened to Harry, or to you and Cloud at Nibelheim. But it's not what happened to us before. It's what we do with our time we have left. If Harry hadn't been there, Sephiroth may have killed me at the City of the Ancients. And you guys may not have learned about Holy until it was too late. Without what Minerva told us, what might have happened? Sephiroth may have used the truth about Cloud to break him, or else once he learned himself, he would have been broken. But we have each other. Most of AVALANCHE is a family. A dynsfunctional family, but…we're a family."

"But can we trust Rufus? Or Jenova?"

"To stop Sephiroth? Before, I would have said maybe. They both have good reasons to stop Sephiroth. But now…I think we can trust them a little more. Not completely, but we share more than one goal, and we've seen into each other's souls. You can't help but change when that happens. At the very least, we're more committed to stopping Sephiroth than ever."

* * *

Harry suddenly felt a tingling from his jacket. Frowning, he found yet another envelope in the pocket. Once more, it seemed, Dumbledore had sent a missive. It had been, what, two days since the last one? Three?

"What's that?" Cloud asked.

"An old man's ramblings," Harry said. He wondered what the old man had to say for himself this time?

**CHAPTER 22 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, Harry and the rest are reunited, and Reeve manages to pull off a heist of the Huge Materia. He is canonically the creator of the Mako Reactors, so he should know something about their systems. If he's computer savvy enough to create an artificial intelligence like Cait Sith, then he presumably created the control systems for the reactors.**

**I also liked writing a scene where Reeve and Cait Sith have a conversation. I think the same intelligence guides the Cait Sith robots (or else the scene where Cait Sith sacrifices himself to get the Black Materia seems a trifle cruel), and Reeve and Cait Sith act almost like brothers. Reeve is questioning more of his own morality, hence his own brief mental comparison to Spehiroth.**

**I wanted the Cloud/Harry reconciliation to be awkward, but ultimately heart-warming. Cloud isn't a very touchy-feely person, and he's somewhat socially inept. Plus, what is Harry's stake in it? We have a reason now…**

**And another Dumbledore letter, huh? Let's see what happens now…**

**1\. Having recently played through this part of the game, I had to wonder WHY there was an instruction manual on how to pilot a submarine in the sub itself. While it could be there for training purposes, troubleshooting, etc, I decided to make up this story on the fly.**

**2\. Jade Weapon woke up during the events of ****_Before Crisis_****. Reeve may have heard of it.**

**CHAPTER 22 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Stealing the Huge Materia****: ****_Theme of Tara Remix, aka VR Missions Theme_****, from ****_Metal Gear Solid_****, composed by the KCE Sound Team.**

**Cloud's Apology****: ****_Holding My Feelings In My Heart/Dear to the Heart_**** (FTG).**


	29. Chapter 23: The Will to Carry On

**CHAPTER 23:**

**THE WILL TO CARRY ON**

_Dear Harry,_

_I am so glad to hear of you being alive and well, and, if what you said in your prior letter was true, in better condition than I hoped. I will have to confirm that the soul fragment of Voldemort is gone, if and when we meet, but to even hear it is cause to give me hope. The soul fragment was foul magic known as a horcrux, I believe, and I was all but sure that Voldemort accidentally created one when he tried to murder you. How he created one accidentally, however, is a question I am still trying to answer, and not something for this letter._

_As to your being angry with me, this I can understand. I only ask that you forgive this old fool. But perhaps forgiveness will be some time coming._

_I was going to write to you about Hogwarts, but a rather serious matter came up. Sirius Black, who I mentioned in my previous letter, has vanished from his imprisonment at Azkaban. On a hunch, I brought in the man who identified the Goddess' Gate, and he confirmed that somehow, Sirius was able to use it. I should warn you to be careful. There have been doubts in my mind regarding Black's crimes, but I have been unable to confirm them(__1)__, and in any case, long-term inmates of Azkaban suffer from mental issues. I have included a picture of him. Be careful._

_Then again, your adventures sound rather hazardous. I am glad, though, that you have a stalwart defender in Miss Gainsborough, at least. But perhaps adventure is in your blood. Your parents were both in Gryffindor, the house of the valiant and the brave._

_Ah, yes. Perhaps now is the time to talk to you about Hogwarts. Hogwarts is situated in a castle in Scotland, and is the premiere magic school in Britain. We teach our students about the magic they will use in their lives, and may encounter. I have included a summary of the various subjects taught at Hogwarts. The core electives are compulsory throughout your seven years at the school, while you may take electives, starting from third year. I am discussing with my contact whether I can send you a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_, as that may be more informative than my rambling._

_Your parents were amongst the best students of their time: they were Head Boy and Head Girl, and your father was a Quidditch prodigy (Quidditch being a game wizards and witches play on broomsticks, not unlike football in many regards). Your mother was one of the brightest witches of her generation, and there are many who mourn her death at Voldemort's hands._

_In Hogwarts, there are Houses, where you will be Sorted based on your personal attributes. Gryffindor, as I mentioned, is the home of the brave and valorous. Its Head is Professor Minerva McGonagall, who is also the main teacher of Transfiguration, and dedicated to her teaching. Ravenclaw is the home of those who study and thirst for knowledge. Professor Filius Flitwick is its Head, along with being the Charms teacher. Hufflepuff is the home of the loyal and hard-working. Unfortunately, it is seen, rather unfairly, as the home of those who don't fit anywhere else, which is something of a disservice. Its Head is Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology teacher. And then, there is Slytherin, the home of the ambitious and the cunning. Its reputation of late, however, has taken a hit, partly due to its adherence to Pureblood ideology, and partly because Voldemort used it to recruit many of his followers. Professor Severus Snape, who knew your parents at school, is the current Head, as well as the Potions teacher._

_I wish to say more, but I don't think you wish to listen to much more of an old man's ramblings. But please, feel free to keep me up to date on your adventure. And keep an eye out for Black._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore_

* * *

When he read the letter, Sirius barked a bitter laugh. "He had his doubts?!" he sneered. "Fat lot of good it did me. He's Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he should have been able to ask for a re-trial. And he left you with the Dursleys. Petunia _hated_ Lily."

Aerith smirked. "So why not write him a letter? We have the envelopes to send it back to him."

Sirius looked at her, before barking his laugh again, only with genuine mirth. "Aerith, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a Marauder."

"Well, there was that time in the slums when I had to get Cloud dressed up as…"

"Aerith!" Cloud yelled, blushing furiously, but Sirius caught on.

The older man chuckled. "Ah, don't worry about it, Cloud. I remember the one time I managed to convince Prongs to wear a girl's uniform and make-up at Hogwarts. Lily used bubotuber pus on him in revenge, if I recall. Nasty stuff."

"Nastier than Malboro breath?" Tifa asked. "That stuff's nasty."

Harry shuddered at the memory. They had encountered a Malboro while climbing Gaea's Cliffs, and its breath was one of the worst things he had ever had happen to him. It felt like he was suffering from the worst possible illness, suffering from a profound feverish delirium. Only Remedies helped cure him and the others affected by it.

"Never heard of a Malboro, and frankly, I'm not sure I want to, judging by the looks on your faces," Sirius said. After a brief pause, he asked, "Any way we can send a vial of that stuff to Dumbledore?"

Aerith pursed her lips before shaking her head. "That…would be going too far. That stuff can actually kill you. Anyway, I don't know whether the Goddess' Gate would allow it."

"Bugger."

* * *

Dumbledore was surprised to get a reply so swiftly, though when he first read the letter and its Blackly familiar handwriting, his initial reaction was to fear for Harry's life. But as he read further into the letter, he found himself wondering how badly he had messed up nearly ten years ago…

_Dear Dumbles,_

_I have Harry. And there's nothing you can do to stop that. We are on another world, after all, and beyond your reach._

_Hopefully, the above statement has given you a near-heart attack. If not, I'm a little disappointed. You were a good man once, Dumbles. And you're still trying to be. But you've failed on more than a couple of counts._

_The first is me. Okay, I can understand you believing me to be the traitor. I spread the word about me being James and Lily's Secret Keeper. That was because I wanted to bluff the Death Munchers. I was the obvious choice, but we decided to go with a less-obvious choice in reality. Peter Pettigrew was the real Secret Keeper. It was my idea, and unfortunately, my fault in the end. I didn't know he was the traitor, believing, stupidly, that Remus was more likely. Anyway, you know what happened: the Potters were betrayed, they got killed, along with Voldemort, though your mentioning a horcrux in the previous letter suggests that old Snake Face may come back._

_You know part of the story about Pettigrew. After I stupidly handed Harry to Hagrid and lent him my motorbike, I tracked Pettigrew down. Now, I know what the eyewitnesses, the survivors, said. I was on the verge of killing him, in revenge for betraying James and Lily. He shouted some malarkey about me betraying them, he sliced off his finger, and then shot a blasting curse at the ground behind him. The little shit transformed into a rat (or rather, became the rat he really was) and scurried off. Yes, he's an Animagus. I guess I should confess that all the Marauders were, barring Remus, of course._

_I was laughing when the Aurors got me, but that was out of surprise, and despair. Peter, the least of the Marauders, had bested me. He had bested all of us._

_Now, I got shipped off to Azkaban without trial. I mean, it did look pretty bad, but even cousin Bella got a trial. I didn't. I never did. You, being Chief Warlock, could have applied pressure for a trial. You didn't. You must've believed it, that a Black would always stay Black. I'm…pretty angry about that. I wanted to put all sorts of jinxes and curses on this letter, as well as send something called 'Malboro breath' to you, but Aerith (that's Harry's new sister) is a forgiving sort, and thought that the shock of me being near Harry would be enough punishment for you. That, and knowing your mistakes._

_And then, you sent Harry to Petunia Dursley. Petunia bloody Dursley. Blood wards, I can understand, but from what Harry told me, the Dursleys were basically a toned-down Muggle version of my own family. You traded a life of happiness, for one of misery, so that he could have protection. Maybe that's why you didn't try to get me a trial. Maybe you didn't want his godfather objecting. I don't know anymore._

_And finally, you made __**Snivellous **__the Potions teacher? What's the world coming to? Or have you gone senile?_

_Anyway, I'm free now. And on another world. I don't think the Aurors can get me. I'm determined to make up for lost time with Harry. I've already told him a lot of what you've put in your letter, about Hogwarts. Dumbles…it's been an effort to write so restrained, when I have so much anger and bitterness within from my wrongful imprisonment. But I'm making an effort, for Harry's sake._

_I want you to promise me one thing: track down Peter. Look for a rat with a missing toe. I know Peter, he won't want to scavenge for long. Being a pet would be ideal for him._

_Say hello to Professor McGonagall and Remus for me. Tell them about what was in this letter._

_I solemnly swear I am up to no good,_

_Sirius Black_

Sirius was with Harry? And he was claiming innocence? Dumbledore would have laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it, but Sirius' story was all too plausible. Was he making up the story to misdirect Dumbledore while he tortured and murdered Harry?

No…from his discussions with Croaker about the Goddess' Gate, the Goddess would only grant passage to the worthy. He hadn't wanted to listen to Croaker, as it meant that perhaps one of the Death Eaters could have crossed over. But perhaps he was wrong.

He would wait until Harry replied before he tried sending another letter. He could only hope that he was wrong about Sirius, that the past near-decade in Azkaban was a horrible, horrible mistake.

He had made far too many of those already…though Severus was not one of them. Sirius would never understand that.

* * *

After a stop to pick up Reeve, the members of AVALANCHE and what was being nicknamed Rufus' Remnant were now standing in the conference room. The nine members of AVALANCHE, plus Harry and Sirius. Rufus Shinra, the three Turks, and Reeve. Elmyra Gainsborough, and Marlene Wallace. And, of course, Jenova. Nineteen people in all, not counting an attendant who stood guard in the corner.

For a moment, it seemed like Rufus, Cloud, and Barrett were on the verge of fighting over who would address them. Well, Barrett and Rufus were on the verge of fighting, while Cloud looked to be itching to have his say. Which was why Aerith took the helm, so to speak. Sighing in irritation, muttering "_Boys_," under her breath, she walked up to the commanding position of the room, in front of the screen.

"Now, you all know why you're here. We're here because…we're committed to fighting Sephiroth, as well as Scarlet. Friends, family, enemies even…but we're here. Everyone here now knows the odds are against us, and what the price of failure is. I said before we weren't going to give up. Minerva isn't against us, but the Weapons are now our enemy, almost as much as Sephiroth or Scarlet are. But we each have our reasons to fight. Many of them are right here in this room," she said, looking at Marlene, who was perched on Barrett's shoulder, and Elmyra, who was looking at her adopted daughter with both fear (for her safety, naturally) and pride. And Harry. Her younger brother in all but blood.

"Some of you are fighting for vengeance, others to protect family, and others to expunge a dark past," she said. "Perhaps some of us will go back to fighting each other once this is over. But now is not the time for that. Now is the time to save the Planet. That is all that matters now."

"Yeah, 'cause there's no stoppin' this train we're on!" Barrett yelled. Marlene cheered.

A pretty good end to the speech, even if Aerith rankled a little at the interruption. But that wasn't what mattered. All of those present were ready to fight.

**CHAPTER 23 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Another 'letters to and from Dumbledore' chapter. I guess Dumbledore got notified about Black's disappearance, and persuaded Fudge and/or Amelia Bones to have Croaker take a look at the scene. **

**1\. Keep in mind that Dumbledore, while he had his doubts about Sirius' guilt, was all too ready to believe that he had betrayed the Potters. Dumbledore knew nothing about Pettigrew, so his doubts arise from inconsistencies in the facts rather than any true belief in Black's innocence. That being said, when presented with the facts, he will take them into consideration.**

**CHAPTER 23 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Sirius' Letter****: ****_Auron's Theme_****, from ****_Final Fantasy X Remastered_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, remixed by Junya Nakano.**

**Can't Stop This Train We're On!****: What else, but ****_The Highwind Takes to the Skies_**** (FTG)?**


	30. Chapter 24: Lift-Off

**CHAPTER 24:**

**TAKE-OFF**

"What about this one?" Sirius asked, holding up a massive object by the handle.

"I can't lift that!" Harry complained.

"Sirius, we're _not_ giving Harry a Buster Sword," Aerith said in quiet exasperation. "One, he is too young. Two, he's not going to be able to lift it."

"Three," drawled Reno with a sardonic smirk on his features, "they'd think that you're compensatin' for something."

"Reno!" Aerith gasped, scandalised.

"I'm just sayin'," the Turk said with a shrug.

"Compensating for what?" Harry asked.

"You'll learn that when you're older," Sirius said. A lech he may be, but he didn't want to be one that much in front of Harry. He was his godson after all. Besides, there was such a thing as good taste. Sirius would wait until Harry was older before he let that particular mask drop.

The three of them were currently in the small but cluttered armoury of the _Highwind_, alongside Reno, who was keeping an eye on them. They were trying to find a suitable weapon for Harry, who had insisted that he wanted to help fight, and they needed something beyond Materia. Sirius also wanted a weapon.

Neither had wands, and wands were virtually absent from arsenals across the Planet. But Sirius was getting the hang of Materia, practising using the crystalline orbs. He found them easier than using wands. But he was also savvy enough to find a back-up weapon. The problem with most wizards and witches is that they considered a wand the be-all and end-all of combat. Few mastered wandless magic, and few bothered to use any weapons that didn't use magic. Of course, he knew that his cousin Bella had a knife as a back-up at times. She may sneer at Muggles, but she was willing to fight like one if necessary.

Sirius grumbled sullenly. "If we were back home, I'd have just taken you to Ollivander's for a wand. Or there's that shop in Knockturn Alley. I could've always Apparated you in and out…"

"Apparated?" Aerith asked.

"Muggles call it teleportation. Instant travel to any part of the world that you have been to and can visualise. There's a few catches: it's bloody uncomfortable, and if you're not careful, you can leave bits of yourself behind. They call it splinching. I remember reading a book by some Muggle by the name of Douglas Adams who said some nasty things about teleporting, and frankly, Apparition is a bit like that. I wonder if he was actually a Squib.(1)" Sirius grinned as he saw something. "Ah-ha!"

Harry stared. Sirius was wielding a large crossbow, except it seemed to have a cylindrical magazine full of bolts(2). "I…I dunno whether I can handle that."

"That's fine, Pup. I was thinking of taking this for myself," Sirius grinned. "I saw something like this in one of the cabinets back home: an autocrossbow. Like a machine gun, only with crossbow bolts. You pull the trigger and hang on." Then, he noticed something else. Fishing around in the small pile of weapons, he plucked something out. "Hey, Reno or whatever your name is, how do you feel about Harry stealing your schtick?" He then showed what he had in his hand: an electro-rod. "Or more to the point, your stick?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, before drawling, "Y'know, I'd feel rather hurt. Hey, that's not a bad model, actually. Looks to be another one like my old one. Even has the Pyramid functionality. C'mon, kid. I'll show you how to fight with it. We have a few minutes before we get to Nibelheim…"

* * *

Scarlet smiled when she heard the reports from Nibelheim. At last, some good news, good news that she was in dire need of. After all, all this stress was making her break out in frown lines galore. The _Highwind_ had been sighted overhead. But they would soon learn from the radio chatter that the Materia from the reactor had already been moved: namely, to Rocket Town. And more precisely, to the rocket.

She had to give that fat idiot Palmer his due: he knew the right people to get the repairs on the rocket started straight away, as well as add some little extras. In fact, it had been ready for some time. Cid's obsession with keeping the rocket maintained had helped make sure that what work was needed to be done was minimal. He probably still harboured delusions of being the first man into space, and probably wanted to use the rocket, still technically Shinra technology even when abandoned, to do so. His obsession, ironically, would help Shinra's triumph in more ways than one. It would send the Huge Materia bomb, along with the nuclear weapon, to destroy, or at least hinder Meteor.

The Huge Materia wasn't just a weapon, nestled within the rocket, though. It was bait. Bait to draw her enemies out of hiding after the Turks' defection and Reeve's theft of the Junon Huge Materia. If she was lucky, then she might be able to capture or even kill much of AVALANCHE and Rufus' allies in one fell swoop.

All she had to do was wait…

* * *

"Have you got the feeling that this is a trap?" Cloud asked as they prepared to disembark.

"Everyone does," Rufus replied, reloading his shotgun. "Scarlet is a shrill and overconfident harpy, but she's not an idiot. Not like Heidegger. Then again, he's not that good a comparison."

They were about to land at Nibelheim when they had heard over the radio that the Huge Materia had been moved already. Already, it was being put into the rocket at Rocket Town. And it had been decided to get it back. They had been hoping to get it from Nibelheim before it was moved to the rocket, but things were never so easy, were they?

It had been decided that Barrett, Tifa, Nanaki, Cait Sith, Yuffie, Reeve, and Elena would guard the _Highwind_, along with Elmyra and Marlene. Harry (after much complaining), Cid (who complained almost as much as Harry, as it was his town and his rocket), Aerith, Jenova, and Sirius would head to the rocket proper to get the Huge Materia out. Cloud, Rufus, Reno, Rude, and Vincent would make sure Shinra couldn't re-secure the rocket until they got the Huge Materia.

The normally sleepy town was bustling with activity, which was unusual. But given that Shinra were prepping the rocket, that wasn't surprising. Most of the townsfolk were watching on in bemusement. They gave Cid and his companions warm but wary greetings. But there were surprisingly few Shinra personnel actually around.

The easy part was getting to the rocket. Then it got hard.

They were soon surrounded by a squad of SOLDIERs. Not First Class, but still part of the elite of Shinra. "Don't move!" bellowed their leader.

Jenova merely smirked. Then, one of the SOLDIERS seemingly went berserk, hacking and slashing at his comrades. As chaos ensued, Jenova thought to herself, her smirk widening, _That's the problem when you infuse my cells into other life-forms. Sephiroth may be the dominant consciousness within them, but I can still make them my puppets at will_.

Harry and Reno worked in tandem, encasing other SOLDIERs in Pyramids, containing them in energy fields that paralyzed them. Rufus and Vincent shot at SOLDIERs with superb marksmanship, as did Sirius, firing the autocrossbow into their ranks. Aerith called down magic at the SOLDIERs, and healed her comrades. Rude dashed amongst their ranks, knocking them down, while Cid smashed at them with his lance. Jenova transformed into her battle-form, and raced amongst their ranks, slashing at them.

The battle took a few minutes, but SOLDIER lost.

As the last SOLDIER fell, Rufus' phone began playing the _Loveless_ victory theme again(3). He snapped it open, and answered it. "Rufus."

"_Sir, we have SOLDIER attacking the _Highwind," Reeve said, the sound of gunfire in the background. "_We're holding them off, but they seem intent on retaking the_ Highwind _and the Huge Materia. Should we get the crew to take off?_"

"Yes, but be ready to land at a moment's notice," Rufus replied. "We've dealt with an initial ambush. Once we get the Huge Materia from the rocket, we'll leave. Rufus out."

"I guess that's our cue," Cid said. "We'd better get in there and get the damn thing. They'll have it under lock and key, though."

Sirius smiled. "That's why I'm coming with you. You'd be surprised at what a little magic can do…"

* * *

Scarlet watched the feed from the camera she had her SOLDIERs set up near the rocket. She smiled when she saw Harry and Aerith enter. The dark-haired man was an unknown factor. Probably a new recruit to their cause. She did note that he seemed to know what he was doing. He acted…not like a soldier, but a more competent kind of police officer. Like someone who had people shooting at him.

Well, it mattered not. Yet another rat in the trap. And what was more, the amount of people going in meant that there'd be less of AVALANCHE getting out alive.

She ran her fingers over the remote controls almost sensuously. If Palmer hadn't screwed up (and she had threatened to have him stuck like the pig he was if he did), then she was about to kill a lot of birds with one stone. Or rather, with one rocket.

She willed them to get closer, and closer. Eventually, the group of five people entered the rocket. Once she was sure they were through the airlock, she activated the doors.

The trap was closed! A hiss of triumph escaped her lips. Now, to begin the countdown. Unfortunately, she couldn't get it to ignite instantly. Palmer had told her he couldn't change the laws of physics. But two minutes was good enough: they couldn't get out in time, not without risking being killed by the rocket's blast, or even destroying the rocket and themselves in the process. In any case, a small but effective thermite bomb burned out the lock, and made sure it was sealed shut.

Now, regardless of what happened next, they would be dead, or in her custody. Either way was fine.

She began to giggle. The giggle became a chuckle. The chuckle became a full-out cackle. Rufus had berated her on occasion for her laugh, but she sneered, watching the camera feed as Rufus, not yet aware that things had gone wrong on the rocket, stood there, so close to the rocket's blast zone. Soon, it would be too late for him. Soon, he would be fried. And the ones on the rocket couldn't radio them.

* * *

"Sir, something's not right," Reno said, looking around.

Rufus could tell that much without Reno stating it. His instincts were screaming at him. But what? What had gone wrong?

It was Vincent who understood what happened first. His transformations gave him heightened senses, and he realised that the noises from the rocket were, imperceptibly, escalating. "We need to move! The rocket is on the verge of taking off!"

"But the others…!" Cloud protested.

"Should be fine!" Rufus snarled as he dragged the young would-be SOLDIER away. "There's an escape pod on the rocket, and Cid knows it! If they can get the Huge Materia and get to it in time, they're good! Move!"

The quintet made it behind a house just in time, as flame vomited from the nozzles of the rocket. With an ear-shattering roar like a wounded Behemoth, it soared into the sky on a pillar of smoke and flame.

It was the most interesting thing that had happened in Rocket Town for quite some time, even more than when Cloud and the others had taken the _Tiny Bronco_. Some houses were badly damaged. Others just needed to replace their windows. A few people had to be treated for hearing damage. The only casualties of the rocket launch so far were the squad of SOLDIERs who had attacked the various rebels.

But a few people knew that at least one resident of Rocket Town had been still on the rocket when it took off. A woman whose dedication surpassed all others. And they knew what fate awaited her, for they knew that the rocket was destined to collide with Meteor.

* * *

On the _Highwind_, the others watched on in horror as the rocket roared towards the skies. "Aerith!" Elmyra yelled. "_No!_"

But the admonishment had no effect on the pitiless metal lance that soared towards the heavens. It flew into space, with only its purpose in mind, set for it by others.

Everyone on the _Highwind_ watched numbly as the rocket shrank, flying into the skies, and taking their comrades with it. And, perhaps, all of their hopes…

**CHAPTER 24 ANNOTATIONS:**

**You asked for it, and you got it: yes, Harry gets to use a weapon in the ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** world. I actually had to think very carefully about what sort of weapon Harry would use. A gun didn't feel right, Aerith already has a staff, and Harry's a bit young for a sword. It took a while, but I decided to give him an electro-rod like Reno. It's a bit like a magic wand, and it can be set to a non-lethal setting. This is important: while Harry will kill during this story, he would rather not. His experience with killing the Snow-Woman, as well as witnessing Jenova massacre the Shinra troopers, have traumatised him. Understandably.**

**Scarlet has just managed to out-manoeuvre AVALANCHE. Holy shit. This time, the countdown was part of a trap.**

**1\. I was referring to the novel of ****_The Restaurant at the End of the Universe_****, which quotes two fictional songs deriding teleportation. It was released nearly two years before Sirius was imprisoned, and I can imagine him reading it.**

**2\. In case you're wondering, that's the autocrossbow from ****_Van Helsing_****. Not a great film if you want a sensible story, but an enjoyable one all the same.**

**3\. I couldn't resist this happening: they finish the battle, and then the victory fanfare plays (rather like the conclusion of the first church fight in ****_Advent Children_****).**

**CHAPTER 24 SOUNDTRACK:**

**In the Armoury****: ****_Theme of Tantalus_****, from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.**

**SOLDIER vs AVALANCHE****: ****_Those Who Fight Further_**** (FTG).**


	31. Chapter 25: Fly Me To The Moon

**CHAPTER 25:**

**FLY ME TO THE MOON**

Harry groaned from where he was lying on the floor. When the door shut, and the rumbling began, Cid, acting quickly, hurriedly rushed them into the cockpit, knowing that the rocket was on the verge of lifting off. He then made them all lie down, while he tried to deactivate whatever remote controls were on it. But the abort wouldn't work, and Cid sighed. Barely audible over the roar of the rockets, he said, "Guess I'm going into space after all…"

Now they were travelling up and away. Harry stared at the view outside the window, as the blue of the Planet dropped away, replaced by the endless night of space. If it weren't for the fact that they were in very real danger, he might have appreciated it more.

"Dammit," Cid snarled, kicking the base of a control panel. "Scarlet must've locked us on course." He turned to Sirius, indicating a ladder. "The Huge Materia's up there, I'm sure of it. Go do your magic thing."

Sirius nodded, and brought Harry and Aerith with him. "Now, this is going to be your first lesson in our magic. I'm hoping it will work. Otherwise, I will look like an idiot."

"You mean you don't already?" Aerith asked with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, I am wounded, Miss Gainsborough. You're practically a Marauder." They finished climbing the ladder, and were confronted with the Huge Materia in a special locked chamber. Behind it, a large, ominous-looking box squatted, presumably the hydrogen bomb mentioned. Sirius looked at it, and nodded. "Okay. I once did this to an electronic lock on a safe back home(1). The spell still worked. This is an all-purpose unlocking spell: only doors and locks enchanted with the right magic are invulnerable. _Alohamora_." He pointed at the Huge Materia, and a ripple of magic snapped out and hit the container.

For a moment, nothing happened. Aerith raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it works on electronic locks?"

As if on cue, the container with the Huge Materia within opened up. "_Voila!_" Sirius said with a grin.

"Are you ever serious?" Aerith asked.

"Of course, it's my name, after all," Sirius replied cheekily. "Come on, let's get going."

They clambered down the ladder, and joined the others. "Wow, you got it done," Cid said with a grin. "Come on, we'd better get out of here. It's going to be a tight fit in the escape pod as it is. I doubt it'll fit all of us without squeezing in."

"I can reduce myself to my component cells easily enough," Jenova said, as they left the cockpit, and entered a room lined with oxygen cylinders. "So I don't think that…"

She was interrupted by an explosion that threw them all across the room. When they blinked the afterimages from their eyes, they found Cid trapped beneath a large scrap of metal. Woozily, he muttered, "Whaddya know? Shera was right. Tank Number 8 was faulty…" He looked at them all. "Go on, get to the escape pod. There'll be plenty of room without me."

"We won't leave without you," Aerith said, going over and trying to lift the metal.

"I'll help!" came a voice, familiar to Aerith and Cid. A mousy woman with glasses and in a lab-coat ran from the door to the escape pod.

"SHERA?!" Cid yelped. "YOU STUPID GODDAMN BITCH! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, STAYING ON HERE WHEN…WHEN…" He began to sob. "Dammit, Shera…you shouldn't be here. I don't want you hurt."

"I heard the chatter from Shinra," Shera said. "I heard you might be coming here. You…you got your dream, didn't you?"

Cid nodded, weakly. "Shera…I'm…I'm sorry. I blamed you for killing my dream…but I killed it…to save you. But it's not worth throwing your life away!"

"I've been in the escape pod, checking it out. That's how I escaped the heat from take-off. It's all set to go."

Sirius, meanwhile, was concentrating on the debris. "_Wingardium leviosa_," he intoned, and the debris, gradually, lifted off Cid. Aerith dragged him out, and Sirius, sweating, let it drop.

"Come on!" Shera said, gesturing them to follow her. She helped Aerith get Cid into the pod, and Harry was pushed in by Sirius. As Jenova clambered in, Harry realised something.

"It's too small. We can't all fit in."

"I know, Pup," Sirius said. "_Stupefy_." He pointed at Harry, whose eyes widened briefly as a red jet of energy hit him in the forehead. Then, the boy collapsed.

"What the goddamn hell did you do that for?" Cid demanded furiously.

"Because he'll protest at what I'm about to do. He won't understand it. Besides, there's no time to argue. Get going." With that, Sirius slammed the door of the escape pod shut. He saw the eyes of the others staring at him. But just before he shut it, he gave Aerith a wink. Maybe she would realise what he meant to do.

Soon, the rocket jolted as the escape pod blasted away. Sirius sighed. "Well," he said to himself, "the easy part is over. Now…the hard part begins…"

* * *

"I'm in space," Cid muttered, looking out the window. "I'm finally in space."

"But Cid, who was that man? And who's the kid?" Shera asked. "And, for that matter, who are you?" she asked, looking at Jenova.

"That there is Jenova," Cid said, "the mother of Sephiroth. That there kid is Harry Potter, and he's a wizard from another world, if you can believe that, and that damn fool who's gonna sacrifice himself was his godfather."

"Shh, Cid," Aerith said, an unconscious Harry slumped against her. "I think Sirius has a plan."

"A plan? He's gonna die to save us! Noble, and stupid!" Cid snapped, before beginning to weep softly.

Jenova, however, looked at Aerith. "You really think he has a chance to escape, don't you?"

Aerith nodded. "It's something he said earlier…"

* * *

Sirius paced up and down the cockpit, trying to calm himself. He could see Meteor approaching on the screens. If he screwed up now, he was going to die. At least this time, he made sure Pup was safe.

"James, Lily…if I mess up…make sure to get ready. 'Cause here I come..." Sirius closed his eyes, and concentrated…

* * *

In his observatory at Cosmo Canyon, Bugenhagen sat on his hoverchair(2), and watched the rocket travel up. He doubted that Shinra's plan would succeed, and to be honest, he wasn't sure what plan would. He did know something of Cetra lore, and he did see things about Aerith that suggested that she may hold the key to the salvation of the Planet. But even that was only a hope at best, and perhaps delusion at worst.

His planetary projections could be altered to view events in real time, and he was watching as the small needle of the rocket poked into the forbidding dark ball that was Meteor. Almost instantly, there was a blinding white flash.

He wondered what it would be like for those living in Midgar, who were below Meteor(3). How the dark skies lit up with a new sunrise for the best part of a minute, before it faded. And then, they would look up to the skies, and see that the nightmare wasn't over. That the burning silhouette of Meteor was still bearing down upon the Planet.

Bugenhagen shook his head. He was surprised that the Shinra attack had caused as much damage as it had, but it was superficial. Relatively small chunks of rock, blasted away by the explosion, were anchored to the main mass by malevolent ropes of energy, like sustained lightning. Shinra's attempt to stop Meteor was futile. Perhaps the Planet was doomed after all, and sooner than Bugenhagen liked to think…

* * *

"DAMN THEM!" Scarlet screamed, slamming her fist down on the desk. "IF THEY HADN'T STOLEN THE HUGE MATERIA, WE'D HAVE BLASTED METEOR OUT OF THE FUCKING SKIES!" She surged to her feet, and strode down the corridor. She wanted to either hit the bottle, or hit someone. She didn't know which. Her fury burned through her veins like napalm.

The Sister Ray was still being set up here. Even with around-the-clock shifts and assistance from robot workers, and using Mini magic to try and make it more portable, it was still being connected to the Mako Reactors, not to mention being set up.

She was surrounded by incompetents, and besieged by traitors! Nobody could do anything right but her! Rufus had managed to scurry away with his minions before being cooked by the blast, and the only remote consolation was that the idiots who had been on board were on it when it blew up.

Or…

The revelation she had soothed the angry fires in her veins. She grinned, before striding back to her office. She went to the phone on the desk, and called a certain number. "Scarlet here. Has the escape pod been launched from the rocket?"

"_Yes, ma'am. It's on a course to land in the ocean just off Midgar._"

"Then pick it up. Make sure that they are all under guard. Oh, and if you see a woman with blue skin and silver hair, waste no time in disposing of her immediately. Am I understood?"

"_Yes, ma'am. The others to be taken alive?_"

"The woman Aerith Gainsborough and the boy Harry Potter must be taken alive. If there are others, and they resist, you may kill them."

"_Yes, ma'am._"

Good. Good. She was finally getting something done…

* * *

With a gunshot-like _crack!_ of displaced air, Sirius appeared near Rocket Town, albeit a few feet in the air. With a comic yelp, he landed awkwardly, and hobbled from the town towards where the _Highwind_ should be.

Rufus, Cloud, and the Turks old and new were back on board, and the _Highwind_ was beginning to take off. Only the fact that the others spotted him allowed him to get back on board.

Sirius looked at the others. "Where's Aerith? Where's Harry?" Elmyra demanded.

"Where's Cid? And Jenova?" Barrett snarled.

"Safe!" Sirius said. "They got into the escape pod. There wasn't enough room for me, especially with that woman…Shera, was it? She was on board."

"Shera?" Nanaki asked. "The one who lived with Cid?"

Sirius nodded. "I volunteered to stay behind. I can Apparate. That means I can teleport to anywhere I've been already. It's just that, well, I've never teleported from outer space before. If I knew I could do that without falling through the atmosphere, choking in space, or getting splinched, I would have taken the others with me. As it was…well, it was the best way to ensure Harry was safe."

"So where is the escape pod going to land?" Vincent asked, frowning.

"There was more. I tried using an _Alohamora_, an unlocking spell, on the door earlier, but it wouldn't budge. This was while it was still counting down. I wanted to try and open the door of the rocket to get out before it launched, but it didn't work. And yet, it worked on the electronic lock of the Huge Materia safe," Sirius said. "I think you were right. This was a trap. But you'd think that if this Scarlet woman wanted us dead, she would have rigged the escape pod to not work."

Rufus pondered this, before he said, "Maybe that was the idea. Maybe she was hoping to get some of us. I know how she thinks. And now, two Cetra have fallen into her lap."

"Cetra?"

"Harry, Aerith, and, I assume, you, Mr Black, are amongst the last of the Cetra. Humans able to use magic without Materia or Limit Breaks. If she wanted to get Harry and Aerith, then she was incredibly lucky they went on board. But I think she was just hoping to capture a few of us, or kill us. Capturing Harry and Aerith was a bonus."

"But…where's the escape pod?" Barrett asked.

"I can find out," Reeve said. "I can access the frequencies in Shinra's database for its homing beacon. We can find out where it is very quickly."

"Then do it, Reeve, and quickly!" Rufus snapped.

A few hours later, they found the information they wanted. The escape pod had splashed down minutes earlier in the seas just near Midgar. What was worse, Shinra's command network had stated that they were on the verge of intercepting it. And there was nothing they could do to stop it…

* * *

Harry was crying, having regained consciousness shortly before landing. He had only known Sirius for a couple of days at best, and he was already gone. Aerith kept trying to lie to him, to tell him that Sirius had a plan, but Harry wouldn't listen. Sirius had died trying to help them. Now he wouldn't have his godfather any more.

Nothing could console him. Nothing. He screamed and raged and wailed within the confines of the escape pod, and the adults could only look on in sympathy.

Suddenly, the capsule rocked, and the door was blasted open. Without warning, Jenova burst into flames, screaming as she dissolved into black ribbons of smoke.

"Don't move," the SOLDIER currently silhouetted in the door said coldly, the Materia on his wrist glowing with malevolent intent, so soon after it had burned Jenova. "You are our prisoners." 

**CHAPTER 25 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Whoa. Cliffhanger. And yes, I wanted to have Sirius apparently sacrifice himself. He didn't know whether Apparition from space would work, hence why he didn't try it earlier with the others.**

**Scarlet was hoping for this to happen, but she would've been happy for any of AVALANCHE or Rufus' Remnant to be either in the escape pod, or dead in the rocket. But now she has her best-case scenario: two Cetra to experiment with.**

**Whew. Hard slog finishing this one.**

**1\. I'm not sure when the first electronic locks appeared, but the first electronic combination lock has been around since 1958, according to a quick Google search. I imagine that Sirius came across it while investigating someone as a hitwizard. I know most purebloods won't touch Muggle tech with a ten-foot pole, but that doesn't mean all wizard criminals would dismiss Muggle technology…**

**2\. It's not clear in the game, but Bugenhagen is actually sitting on a sort of green sphere. This is more clear in his concept art, as well as, I think, an appearance in ****_Before Crisis_****.**

**3\. Why can you see Meteor all over the world? I decided to say that it's hovering over Midgar, and has somehow (due to the ridiculous power of the Black Materia) is locked above it while it is coming down. That would normally be impossible for a normal meteor heading towards a planet, for it to match its speed with the rotation of the planet it is heading for so it appears to be in the same spot in the skies, but this is why: the power of the Black Materia.**

**CHAPTER 25 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Into Space!****: ****_Launching a Dream Into Space_**** (FTG).**

**Sirius' Sacrifice****: ****_Endless Sorrow_****, from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I really wanted to tug at the heartstrings for this one, even if Sirius was going to survive. And the guitar makes it perfect for Sirius.**

**The Capsule is Captured****: ****_Shinra, Inc_**** (FTG).**


	32. Episode 6 News and Preview

**EPISODE 6 NEWS AND PREVIEW**

After a hard slog, I've finished Episode 6. I intend to write at least two or three chapters of Episode 7 before I publish Episode 6. If you're very lucky, this fic, or at least the first book of seven episodes, will be finished within the next couple of weeks. If not, tough.

The next episode will be VERY exciting. Amongst the enemies lined up are Hojo, Scarlet (in the Proud-Clad), and two Weapons, Ultima and Diamond. In addition, we will see Knights of the Round being used not just once, but _twice!_ I am not making this up! Well, technically, I have, but I mean that Knights of the Round is used twice in Episode 6. And Harry probably gets his most badass moment ever in that episode. He has, admittedly, been a little overshadowed by some of the others. Believe me, this particular scene will make it worthwhile. It does end on a somewhat sad note, though not for any normal reasons you can think of.

Wow! By the time I'm writing this, I'm just a hair away from 20K views! And nearly 2K in the past day! Thanks, guys!

Anyway, review answering time!

**Slirith**: Plot is 'bleh' now? What do you mean by that? I admit, the plot by this point is a little thin, but frankly, it was the same for the game: it was basically running around after the Huge Materia and all that crap.

**Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros**: Firstly, I looked at your profile, and I agree: I actually like _Final Fantasy IX _the best out of the _Final Fantasy_ series. It's harder to tell whether it's my favourite game of all time, though, but even if it isn't, it's pretty damn close to the top.

Secondly, thanks for your praise. There's nothing wrong with slash per se, it's just not my thing. I wanted to write a story the way I wanted to.

Thirdly, in answer to your question for chapter 1, Zack won't be hitching a ride in Harry's mind. That being said, after having met Zack in the Lifestream, Harry might take him on as a role model (unfortunately, Cloud, Barrett, and Cid aren't good male role models, Nanaki is a sentient mountain lion, even if he's a nice guy, Reeve still has trust issues with the others on their end, and Vincent…is a bit cold). And they may be able to talk again. Harry is a Cetra, after all. It's how he was able to speak to Minerva. Harry will probably grow into being a more confident version of canon Harry. If we're talking what character he'd be most like, it may very well be Zack, as Zack is nice, enthusiastic, and heroic.

In answer to your remarks for chapter 4 and chapter 8, unfortunately, Barrett and Cid are enough of a bad influence. Harry swears at Scarlet rather viciously in Episode 6, partly because I saw your review before writing the chapter.

And regarding chapter 18, I thought Reeve and Cait Sith needed a badass moment as much as the Turks did. They badly need one, don't they? The closest we get for Cait Sith is his 'sacrifice' in the Temple of the Ancients. Reeve's best moment is when, through Cait Sith, he calls Barrett out on what he did in his Mako Reactor bombings.

Anyway, it's that time again. Preview time! Try not to drool, or die of anticipation…

_Harry glared at Scarlet. "And what about Sirius?"_

_"Sirius? Oh, you must mean the fool who looked like a tramp, and died with the rocket," she sneered._

_"He was my godfather!" Harry yelled._

_"He is still a fool, and a dead fool at that. Be thankful you are a valuable specimen for Project C, or I would send you to join him, you impudent little brat."_

* * *

_On cue, the troopers flanking Hojo aimed their weapons at him. "What could you possibly do, you weakling?" Scarlet sneered._

_"Weakling?" Hojo guffawed. "Scarlet, I saw what happened with Reeve and Cait Sith. Over and over again, you keep underestimating your opponents. I mean, didn't you ever know I used my own body for Jenova cell experiments?"_

_Scarlet had just enough time for her eyes to widen before Hojo's fist lashed out, and impaled the nearest Shinra trooper. "It's time to see the results," he said in a low growl, blood dripping down his arm._

* * *

And it had been going so well, _Aerith reflected as the Shinra troopers surrounded them in the foyer of the Shinra building. Without their weapons, they couldn't fight their way through, and fleeing wasn't an option now. To have this many surrounding them, that cow Scarlet must've radioed ahead._

_However, as the commander of the troops debated where to take them, a salvation of the most unexpected sort walked through the doors. Four people who normally worked here._

_"Rufus Shinra, sir!" the commander said, saluting, nervously._

_"At ease, man," Rufus said. "I am here to reclaim stolen property." His eyes narrowed at the commander, who gulped. He knew what Rufus meant._

* * *

_Harry stared at the bodies in horror. In a way, this was worse than even Jenova's massacre. He had seen an unarmed man (albeit one who had just aerated the chest cavity of a trooper) get gunned down by a ridiculous amount of bullets. But then again, this was Hojo. What he saw in Aerith's memories ensured that he was horrified only by the sight before him. Hojo's passing would not be mourned by Harry Potter, or indeed anyone in the stairwell._

_Scarlet, getting to her feet, spat spitefully onto the mangled corpse, her spit mingling with Hojo's blood. "There's your results! You overestimated your intelligence, Hojo."_

_Suddenly, a spike of bone impaled one of the Shinra troopers. And then, more spikes impaled the ones who had been flanking Hojo. Hojo's mangled corpse swelled, bloated, and grew, becoming a grotesque parody of a man, assymetrical, blue and red and purple in colour, his mouth distorted in a perpetual scream, or a cry for hunger. It burbled, in a deep voice, "__**Oh, have I?**__"_

* * *

_"__**Don't you remember what Lucrezia said about Omega Weapon and Chaos?**__" Noticing Hojo's unholy interest, Jenova nodded. "__**That's right. I didn't come here from the stars as invader and destroyer, but as a coloniser, a saviour of my own Planet. Time and isolation drove me to become the monster I was. But luck and circumstance showed me my true past. I may still be a monster. But I now know that I am more than just that. I was once a guardian of my own people. I may have failed them…but maybe I can be a guardian again!**__"_

* * *

**_I will annihilate it because it is my duty_**_, Diamond said solemnly, beginning to stride towards Midgar. __**You, however, seem to have confused duty with vendetta. I know of what happened at your other battlefield. Your targets emerged from the Lifestream. If the Planet wished them destroyed, then it would have finished the job you started**__**.**_

**_I WILL NOT ACCEPT FAILURE OR CRITICISM!_**_ Ultima snarled._

**_Then purge this metropolis of the Calamity, and only the Calamity_**_, Diamond said. __**I shall do the rest**__._

_Ultima flew off with a sullen snarl, while Diamond continued his relentless march towards Midgar. He wept for the lives that were to be lost, but he knew that to not do his duty would be to invite further disaster…_

* * *

_Almost silently, something rose over the parapet of the roof, born aloft by special Materia. It was at least four storeys tall, blood red in colour. It was the shape of a man, but with four clawed arms, and weapons everywhere, including a large rail cannon on the back. Both sets of arms were folded, arrogantly._

_Jenova watched as the Proud-Clad hovered over to the heliport, and landed gently, even gracefully. She clapped, with only a small tinge of sarcasm. It was actually quite an impressive feat to make something so large fly and land like that._

_External speakers burst into life on the thing. "__**You may very well applaud, bitch. It won't stop you from dying.**__"_

_"Scarlet," Jenova said with a sigh. "Seriously, don't you know? I'm hard to kill."_

_"__**I noticed. You're like a cockroach who refuses to submit to the heel of a boot.**__"_

* * *

_Harry sneered at Scarlet, with an expression of such venom and hatred and contempt, no child should have it on his face. He seemed about to say something, before he shook his head. He eventually said, "You're not an Empress. You're just a bully. Just because you're grown up means nothing. I thought I had never met a worse bully than my aunt or my uncle, or Dudley. You're like my aunt, you know that? Thinks she's the queen of her little world. You're worse even than Voldemort or Sephiroth, because once you don't have your toys…you're nothing." He looked down at her. "You can't even beat a ten-year old."_

**_Well said_**_, came a voice into his mind, as deep as an oceanic abyss, and as dark as the event horizon of a black hole. And as he turned to face the source, the colour drained out of the world, and with it, time. Everything froze just as Harry came face to face with the Weapon, which had managed to climb the hill as he and Scarlet had fought. __**But words will avail you naught, young Cetra. I am sorry**__**.**_

_And Harry knew now that he was in even greater trouble than he was before…_


	33. FINALE NEWS!

**FINALE NEWS!**

I am currently writing the third chapter of Episode 7, which means that _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_, Book 1 of what I am now calling _The Cetra Heritage Saga_, is almost finished. And I have finally made a decision on something I have been toying with ever since I decided on seven episodes. I will be posting Episode 6 and Episode 7 together, at the same time, as a grand finale. If you're very lucky, you will get both episodes later this week. I'll have to clear the decks with my Doc Manager first, though, as I only recently discovered the 50 document limit, and with all my other stories plus _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_, I'll have to do some cleaning up in preparation for posting the finale.

This does not mean I am finished with _The Cetra Heritage Saga_, though I will be taking a break from it. I will be posting chapters of the interquel story, _Birthday_, at irregular intervals as I write them. That story won't be done in episodes, though. Once _Birthday _is finished, the next book, _Harry Gainsborough and the Philosopher's Stone_ will feature Harry finally going to Hogwarts, and meeting familiar friends and enemies from the Potterverse, though a few will appear in _Birthday_. And yes, before you ask, he'll still be in Gryffindor. He's more than proved that by facing up to Sephiroth. He's still got elements from all the Houses, but other than Hufflepuff (for the loyalty and hard work thing), Gryffindor is his most likely House.

There's no preview, this time. I haven't finished Episode 7, and I don't want to reveal more than I have already about Episode 6. However, I will respond to more reviews…

**Dohvakiinwolfghost7**: Thanks. I'm glad that I wrote something you enjoy, as well as so many others.

**Slirith**: Oh. Well, someone used your name while posting a guest review. Bit of a dick move to do that, wasn't it?

**Mangahero18**: Jenova's fine. If you paid attention, you'd have noticed I use the term 'black ribbons' or 'dark ribbons' to note whenever she 'dissolves' into her Lifestream form, and when hit by the attack, she instantly dissolves into 'black ribbons of smoke'. Scarlet isn't fooled when she hears about this later on. She assumes Jenova is still around somewhere. And she's right.

**Asherit**: Thanks. I'm surprised I was able to write the story this damned fast. Please don't expect further stories in the saga to be published so quickly, though. I don't think I could handle this pace anymore. **;_;**

Last, but certainly not least, **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros**: Your enthusiasm is noted. I never said that Harry was going to take Zack on as a role model per se, but that he will probably, and independently, mirror some of Zack's better qualities.

As for Harry getting the Mako glow in his eyes due to being in the Lifestream, well, I don't think Tifa got it after her brief sojourn into the Lifestream in the game. And the Mako glow seems to be the result of deliberate infusion (caused by the SOLDIER creation process, as well as whatever process Hojo used to create Sephiroth copies). Comments in-game suggest that these eyes are the result of deliberate Mako infusion, rather than Mako poisoning (though Cloud's catatonic state when Zack helped him escape suggests that the former CAN lead to the latter, of course).

Before I go, while I said I won't leave a preview, I will divulge the five chapter titles of Episode 6, and the first three chapter titles of Episode 7…

_The Scarlet Woman and the Heretic_

_Monster VS Monster_

_The Cavalry Arrives_

_The Destroyers_

_Vengeance is Mine_

_Jenova VS Jenova_

_The Birth of a God_

_Judgement Day_

I see you shivering with antici…pation. Just wait and see. Hopefully, this will live up to your expectations…and hopefully, I will get no expectorations. :P


	34. Chapter 26: The Scarlet Woman and the

**CHAPTER 26:**

**THE SCARLET WOMAN AND THE HERETIC**

When the helicopter came to Shinra HQ's helipad with its unwilling cargo, Scarlet couldn't contain her excitement. The two Ancients, the rebellious Cid, that technician servant of his, and the Jenova creature had been on board the escape capsule when it splash-landed. The Jenova creature had been dealt with, though. Scarlet was under no illusions as to whether it was dead. Its ability to infiltrate had already been shown in Junon. Perhaps the final member of the party, the dark-haired man, had died with the rocket. No, not perhaps. He had to be dead.

These newcomers were in handcuffs, their weapons and Materia taken from them, along with the Huge Materia they had stolen from the rocket. Scarlet smiled. Now she was back in control, where she belonged. Where she _rightfully _belonged.

"Scarlet?!" Cid snarled when he saw her, limping slightly. It seemed that he had had an accident of some sort in the rocket. Good. She hoped it hurt. Cid's anger, however, turned into a sneer when he saw her scars from Cait Sith's attack. "Looks like Reeve left his mark on you, bitch!"

Scarlet strode up to him and slapped him, hard. "Make another comment like that, and I will leave more than a mark on you. You are our prisoners. And quite frankly, Cid Highwind, you are more trouble than you're worth. I could have you shot right here and now."

"You tried to murder my mother," Aerith said, glaring at the Shinra executive. "Was she more trouble than she was worth?"

Scarlet sniffed, turning her gaze to the young Ancient. "She kept you from us all these years. So yes. Let me make things perfectly clear. You are our prisoners. Under Clause 8, Paragraph 3 of Section 75 of the Shinra Executive Rules(1), you have no rights whatsoever. You two," she indicated Aerith and Harry, "as biological specimens vital to Shinra's research, and you two," indicating Cid and Shera, "as accomplices to terrorists and saboteurs."

Harry glared at Scarlet. "And what about Sirius?"

"Sirius? Oh, you must mean the fool who looked like a tramp, and died with the rocket," she sneered.

"He was my godfather!" Harry yelled.

"He is still a fool, and a dead fool at that. Be thankful you are a valuable specimen for Project C, or I would send you to join him, you impudent little brat."

Unfortunately, Scarlet had made the mistake of leaning down at Harry, coming face to face with the boy as she insulted his godfather. And it was when she saw the faint glow of a Limit Break building up that she realised that mistake.

Suddenly, a golden shape burst from Harry, knocking Scarlet away, and riding through the Shinra troopers, bowling them over. Cid's eyes widened. "Is that a deer?!" he yelped.

The animal rushed over to them, and ran through them. But even as they flinched away, no impact was felt. Instead, they heard a chorus of clicks as their handcuffs fell away. "Run!" Aerith yelled, grabbing Harry by the hand. Cid grabbed Shera's, and they ran for the entrance into the Shinra Headquarters proper. There was no other way to escape, after all, that didn't entail jumping off the Shinra building.

Scarlet got to her feet and aimed a gun at their retreating backs, only to have it knocked out of her hands by the rampaging golden animal. _A stag_, she thought woozily. _It's a stag_…

* * *

Of the four present, only Aerith had spent much time in Shinra HQ, and recently at that. She led the others to the stairwell. Disaster struck, however, when they reached the 68th floor. Hojo was there, with a group of Shinra troopers at the ready. "Going somewhere?" he asked in his nasal whine, raising an eyebrow.

"We were just leaving," Aerith said.

"Without renewing our acquaintance?" Hojo asked, in a mockery of hurt feelings. "That is rather discourteous, Aerith."

"At least you remembered my name this time," Aerith said.

"Well, you seemed rather put out by my forgetfulness. I made sure to remember your name…and that of Harry Potter. At last, two Cetra for my experiments, a male and female. Perhaps I can get you to breed one day."

The reactions from those present, save for Hojo, was understandably that of repulsion. Even the Shinra troopers flanking Hojo made noises of disgust. Hojo seemed put out. "The job of a scientist is to push past boundaries. I wouldn't expect dullards like you to understand."

It was at about this time that Scarlet made her appearance, panting heavily, followed by the guards that had been with her. "Ah, good. You've made yourself useful for once, Hojo. I'll take them from here."

Hojo chuckled, before his features hardened. "No. They are _my_ experimental subjects. _My_ specimens."

"You seem to forget, Hojo, that you have been dismissed from the role of Chief Scientist here," Scarlet said. "You resigned, and when we brought you back, Rufus dismissed you, in one of his more intelligent moves. You're now merely a low-level researcher now. Do not force the issue."

"My dear, I have survived many threats, and two heads of Shinra." His eyes glittered with malice. "And do not think this delusion. There would be no Shinra without me. Where did you think all the advances for all of your baubles and trinkets and toys come from?"

"Hojo, any scientist could have done what you could have. And you are deluded. After all, the troopers are loyal to me." On cue, the troopers flanking Hojo aimed their weapons at him. "What could you possibly do, you weakling?"

"Weakling?" Hojo guffawed. "Scarlet, I saw what happened with Reeve and Cait Sith. Over and over again, you keep underestimating your opponents. I mean, didn't you ever know I used my own body for Jenova cell experiments?"

Scarlet had just enough time for her eyes to widen before Hojo's fist lashed out, and impaled the nearest Shinra trooper. "It's time to see the results," he said in a low growl, blood dripping down his arm.

The Shinra troopers opened fire in a blind panic, and Hojo's body began to dance in a macabre fashion in the crossfire, blood spraying from his body. The bullets ricocheted everywhere in the confined stairwell, and Scarlet, Harry, Aerith, Cid and Shera were forced to dive to the floor. "CEASE FIRE!" Scarlet screamed.

At the end of it, two Shinra troopers were dead from ricochets, and Hojo was a mutilated lump of meat, in a pool of blood. It was barely recognisable as anything remotely human any more. Harry stared at the bodies in horror. In a way, this was worse than even Jenova's massacre. He had seen an unarmed man (albeit one who had just aerated the chest cavity of a trooper) get gunned down by a ridiculous amount of bullets. But then again, this was Hojo. What he saw in Aerith's memories ensured that he was horrified only by the sight before him. Hojo's passing would not be mourned by Harry Potter, or indeed anyone in the stairwell.

Scarlet, getting to her feet, spat spitefully onto the mangled corpse, her spit mingling with Hojo's blood. "There's your results! You overestimated your intelligence, Hojo."

Suddenly, a spike of bone impaled one of the Shinra troopers. And then, more spikes impaled the ones who had been flanking Hojo. Hojo's mangled corpse swelled, bloated, and grew, becoming a grotesque parody of a man, assymetrical, blue and red and purple in colour, his mouth distorted in a perpetual scream, or a cry for hunger. It burbled, in a deep voice, "_Oh, have I?_"

"_Run!_" Shera screamed, and none of the others present argued. Another Shinra trooper was impaled on Hojo's spikes. The creature, though it had no legs, surged up the stairs like a slug on amphetamines, leaving a slimy trail in its wake.

* * *

Scarlet was fumbling around with her bracelet as they ran through the floor leading to the Presidential Office. "Dammit, I was hoping to use this later. I've only got enough power to use it once, even if it had been grown more."

Aerith caught the distinctive red colour of a Summon Materia on the bracelet. "Which one is that one?"

"The ultimate Summon Materia, unless you count that Zirconiade Fujitio used," Scarlet said. "The legendary Materia: The Knights of the Round."

Aerith's eyes widened. The Knights of the Round! It was said to be the Materia that would summon the legendary Valiant Round, a group of warriors who had brought peace to the chaotic period after Jenova's sealing. Legend had it that the Valiant Round sealed themselves away in sleep eternal, at least until their time of need came again.

The Hojo creature surged up the stairs, its gaping mouth seeming to have a touch of anticipation to it, like a predator about to kill its prey. "_You can't run from me!_" it roared.

"I don't have to," Scarlet snarled, holding up her hand. The blood-red Materia on her wrist flared with light. "Final End."

The room seemed to darken, strange light playing eerily over them all, and then, from behind Scarlet, a knight leapt from the shadows, clad in full armour, and drove its sword into Hojo. Hojo howled in pain, but another knight attacked before he could react. Knight after knight attacked the creature that was once Hojo, and Aerith knew that each attack was extraordinarily powerful. In fact, it seemed that Hojo was being kept alive by the power of the Materia after a certain point, so that he would suffer the full brunt of the summons' onslaught.

Such was the power, it seemed, of the Knights of the Round. She had heard the legends, the rumours, of course, but to see it in action…she was only glad that Scarlet hadn't seen fit to use it on them, so far. It would annihilate virtually anything that it came across. Even Sephiroth would be feeling the pain after being subjected to this summon.

Twelve knights had attacked Hojo. Then, a thirteenth, more regal than the last, appeared behind Scarlet. "_Begone, fiend! I, Arthur, vanquish thee!_" It raised its shining sword, and drove it through Hojo, whose scream of pain abruptly cut off into a gurgle. It began to dissolve into a misshapen lump of flesh, bleeding and steaming.

Harry, however, blinked. "Arthur? As in _King_ Arthur?"

The regal knight turned to face Harry. "_Ah, a wizard from Earth. Well met, youth. And I hope we meet again…_"

Arthur faded from existence, while Harry stared at the blood-red Materia on Scarlet's bracelet. "Did you just summon the Knights of the Round Table?"

"The Knights of the Round, or rather, the Valiant Round," Scarlet corrected him irritably.

"But…King Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table, they're legends back home. Merlin and Avalon and all that! Why are they a summon?"

"Good question, kid, but I got a better one," Cid said, looking at the grotesque mess that was once Hojo in horror. "Why is that thing not dead?"

Scarlet turned around just in time to see a strange form emerge from what was once the Hojo monster. Cid, Aerith, and Harry saw that it was not unlike Jenova's battle-form, but that had remained more or less human-like. However, this creature had no legs, instead, floating serenely in mid-air. A tail-like appendage emerged from the back of the creature's otherwise featureless head, and dangled like a parody of the ponytail Hojo once had.

"_Indeed, Cid Highwind_," Hojo's voice shrilled from the creature, distorted and flanging. "_You would make a good scientist. You and the boy. You ask the right questions._" Hojo spread his now blade-like arms. "_That was a very interesting experience, being subjected to the Knights of the Round. I __**did**__ die…for all of a few seconds. But Jenova cells are __**very**__ tenacious indeed. And I'm sure that you can't use it again. Now, I believe it's __**my**__ turn._"

"You just HAD to take away our weapons and Materia," Cid yelled at Scarlet as they turned to flee, the surviving Shinra Troopers firing at Hojo's latest iteration.

"Now's not the time to point fingers!" Scarlet yelled as they ran up the stairs for the Presidential Office, Hojo's deranged laughter following them. "That comes later!"

"They're going to die!" Harry wailed.

"They're guards, that's their job!"

When they got into the Presidential Office, they found someone sitting at the desk. Someone with light hair, and a white suit. For a moment, Scarlet thought that it was Rufus, until she realised that the hair was silver, and the face pointed and feminine, and blue-skinned.

"My, but this seat _is_ comfortable. Had to clean the sweat from President Shinra's ample rump away, but that's fine. I'm not so upper-class that I won't sit on a chair in somewhat used condition." Jenova beamed almost beatifically at the newly arrived group. "I can see why you wanted it, Scarlet…"

**CHAPTER 26 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, Heretic ('Helletic' in the game) and Lifeform Hojo have made their appearance. And Hojo is disgusting. He'd probably force Harry and Aerith to breed as soon as they're biologically able to. Ugh, that's nasty. Then again, this is the guy who infected his pregnant lover with Jenova cells, and tried to crossbreed Aerith and Red XIII. He just doesn't give a shit about societal boundaries and taboos.**

**Poor Scarlet, she never seems to get her way, does she? Oh well, she deserves it, for being a bitch. At least she gets a badass moment, using Knights of the Round. The best she gets in the game is a bitchslapping contest with Tifa and piloting a two-person Evangelion Unit 02 ripoff with a stupid name. I mean, come on, who calls their mecha the 'Proud Clod'?**

**Oh, and Harry shows off a new Limit Break! It was easier to conceive and name than the last one: Prongs' Pride. Damages all enemies, and removes all status effects…including handcuffs. Yes, handcuffs are totally a status effect.**

**And a hint that the Potterverse and the Planet are truly linked after all. How else would Arthur and his knights be known on both worlds? I think this may indicate things to come…**

**1\. Another ****_Doctor W_****ho reference hidden in the Shinra rules. Scarlet's line about her captives having no rights whatsoever comes from a not dissimilar speech in ****_Genesis of the Daleks_****, episode 2 (transmitted on March 8, 1975, hence the codes for the Shinra rules). When the Doctor and Harry (Sullivan, not Potter!) get rather facile with a Kaled guard, the Kaled guard tells them that as their prisoners, they have no rights whatsoever, and that any disobedience is grounds to get shot. That will be their only warning. The Doctor, rather morosely, says, "No tea, Harry."**

**CHAPTER 26 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Scarlet's Pride****: ****_Shinra, Inc_****. (FTG)**

**Time to See the Results!****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_**** (FTG).**


	35. Chapter 27: Monster Versus Monster

**CHAPTER 27:**

**MONSTER VERSUS MONSTER**

"Dammit, Jenova, where were you five minutes ago?" Cid demanded.

"Re-embodying myself. Believe it or not, spending extended periods of time as dissociated clouds of my cells is rather taxing," Jenova said. "After all, the urge to dissolve and spread my Lifestream across the world is very strong. Plus, if I made an appearance too soon, Scar-Face there would have used her new Summon on me." She rose from the chair, and walked casually around from behind the desk.

Scarlet's face twisted into fury. "You…"

With a blur, Jenova was on her, gripping her neck by one hand. "Yes?" she asked, hoisting her into the air. "I…what?" With her other, she gripped Scarlet's braceleted wrist, and squeezed. "What is that?" Jenova hissed. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" With a contemptuous sneer, Jenova tossed Scarlet to the side, leaving her to gasp on the ground. "I thought so. Go back to your room to cry, little girl. You're not worth my time, and I have one of my own children to discipline."

They realised that Hojo, in his new armoured form, was watching from the top of the stairs, his bladed arms coated liberally with blood. "_Ah, so the disobedient specimen has come back._"

"Indeed I have. I did make you a promise, Hojo," Jenova said. The armoured plating began crawling up her body. "I told you, back at the Crater, that you dismembered me, and I would return the favour in time." Her head was then covered by the same featureless helm that Hojo's was now. "_The time is now._"

"_You can try_," Hojo sneered, before launching himself forward.

The two monsters clashed in the boardroom, their bladed arms sparking as they hit each other. Jenova turned her 'helmet' to the others. "_Get out of here! NOW! I'll deal with this errant brat!_"

* * *

As the others fled, Scarlet scurrying after them, Hojo snarled as he tried to land blow after blow on Jenova, "_Brat? BRAT?! You are old and weak, Jenova! If you're so powerful, why can't you control me?!_"

Jenova, admittedly, had been trying. But either Hojo's will was too strong, or it was being supplemented by the will of another. And she could guess who. "_Because our son is helping you._"

"_That's right!_" Hojo said, breaking away from her. "_The man he holds in the most contempt, his own father! What delicious irony!_"

Jenova chuckled. "_You want to know something? He's known for a long time. He knew that you were his father. Even before Nibelheim. THAT'S why he showed you contempt._"

"…_You're lying_," Hojo snarled.

"_I am Jenova. I know memories. And I know Sephiroth's. He's known for a long time. And he treated you with the contempt you deserve_," Jenova sneered. "_You're not a god, a monster, or even a good excuse for a man. You're a joke._"

Suddenly, Sephiroth's voice seemed to emanate from Jenova, oozing with contempt and scorn. "An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes!" Then, Jenova spoke normally. "_That was how he described you at Nibelheim five years ago. And he was restraining himself admirably. Time has only worsened his opinion of you. He is repulsed by the fact he shares genes with you, and probably only considers you marginally useful. And he treated me with only marginally less contempt. Me, who was once a goddess._"

Hojo snorted scornfully. "_Hyperbole!_"

"_No. Don't you remember what Lucrezia said about Omega Weapon and Chaos?_" Noticing Hojo's unholy interest, Jenova nodded. "_That's right. I didn't come here from the stars as invader and destroyer, but as a coloniser, a saviour of my own Planet. Time and isolation drove me to become the monster I was. But luck and circumstance showed me my true past. I may still be a monster. But I now know that I am more than just that. I was once a guardian of my own people. I may have failed them…but maybe I can be a guardian again!_" She lunged forward, and battle was joined once more…

* * *

Scarlet ran after the others, clambering down the stairwell, hoping that neither of the Jenova creatures would follow her. Over the past few days, it had been humiliation after humiliation, with AVALANCHE and the traitors walking all over her. But SHE was the head of Shinra! SHE was the ruler of the world!

With that in mind, once she was able to, she dived into a lift and pressed the button for her department, Weapons R&amp;D, which took up five whole floors of the Shinra HQ. She had something in mind for those monsters, and for AVALANCHE! She might not be able to use Knights of the Round for a while, at least until she used an Ether, but there was something else she could use. They saw her go in, but they clearly decided that escape was a better option.

Let them run. Once she was back in control, there was no place to hide.

As she stormed in, she saw all of the technicians staring at her. She hoped, for their sake, it was because of her sudden entrance, and not because of the scars on her face. She strode imperiously to one sector of the vast complex. "Ready the Proud-Clad!(1)" she snarled at the technicians.

The technicians knew better than to disobey her, especially as the machine was pretty much ready already. So they scurried about, beginning the final stages of activating the Proud-Clad.

It was beautiful, one of the few collaborations between her and Heidegger, and for once, he was sensible. It could be piloted by either one or two pilots, and while two was optimal, she could pilot the damn thing herself. She knew its systems as intimately as a lover. Hell, it may as well have been a lover. She knew it would never betray her. Betrayal had figured in her childhood too many times.

She thought of all those toys that should have been hers, all of those loser boys, all of them as poor as she used to be. All of those adults looking down at her.

She clawed her way to the top using her intelligence and her cunning and her utter ruthlessness. Morals, after all, were for people who didn't want to get to the top.

This was the hour she would draw the line at. No longer would she be humiliated and looked down upon. She would stand astride the world in her crimson chariot, and _make it bow_.

She strode into a nearby changing cubicle and stripped off her dress, pulling on the rather figure-hugging pilot suit. Scarlet, like her name, like her dress. And like the blood of her enemies as it spreads across the ground.

Zipping the pilot suit up and clipping the neural interface into her hair, she strode out of the cubicle and glared at the technicians. "Call security at the lobby. They are to keep an eye out for Cid Highwind, the technician Shera, and two Ancients by the names of Harry Potter and Aerith Gainsborough. The two Ancients are to be taken alive at all costs. Cid and Shera are expendable, but if they can be captured alive, do so. Am I understood?"

The technicians all nodded. She felt better already. At least some people understood the meaning of the world 'obedience'. She clambered up the stairs, panting a little. But she could deal with some exercise, unlike Heidegger or Palmer. Or that fat idiot President Shinra.

She made it to the cockpit, and as eagerly as a girl waiting to play with her new toy, she all but leapt into it. She smiled as the familiar cockpit made her feel like she should. In control. She had developed it with Heidegger after that whole mess with Zirconiade and Jade Weapon years ago. While Jade Weapon was no longer a problem, she refused to shelve the project, and President Shinra let her continue.

Although it could be designed to be controlled by regular controls, Scarlet, for single-pilot usage, designed a neural interface similar to the Synaptic Net Dive equipment. But it could be used by anyone, and not just those trained by Deepground. It meant she could control the Proud-Clad as if it were her own body…if her body had four arms and weapons mounted everywhere.

She heard the whine of the generator of the Proud-Clad whirring up. The cockpit sealed itself shut. After strapping herself in, she reached forward and tapped the button marked 'NEURAL INTERFACE'. Then, she sat back, and cleared her mind as best as she could.

Suddenly, her mind felt like it was yanked out of her body, expanding, swelling. And when she opened her eyes again, she knew that it had worked. Now, she felt as she knew she should. As a god.

* * *

Jenova and Hojo's fight went outside, fighting around the heliport, their blades flashing and clashing, sparks flying. While Hojo was swifter and stronger, Jenova clearly had the edge in terms of technique and ease with her battle form. And Hojo, who was only new to his battle form, was tiring, whereas Jenova was more used to fighting like this.

Hojo was sent flying, skidding along the heliport, his helm-like head cracked and oozing a vile liquid. "_No…why…?_" he wailed.

"_Why are you losing, or why am I doing this? I told you why I am doing this._" Jenova changed back into her 'human' form, blue skin and silvery skin. "You dismembered me. You struggled to understand me, when I didn't even understand myself. As for why you are losing, I can answer that question quite easily." Jenova looked down at something she held in her hand. "But I don't think you'd believe me, so it'd be a waste of my time and yours."

She made a gesture, and Hojo rose into the air, and then stopped directly above her her, his bladed arms spreadeagled by her will. "In any case, now that I've beaten the resistance out of you, I can take control of your body." She gestured, and suddenly, one of the bladed arms snapped off, eliciting a howl from Hojo. "Sephiroth isn't helping you stay alive now," she sneered, before another limb ripped out messily. "It's no wonder, really. But I know he's listening. Remember this, Sephiroth. I'm coming for you next. You think yourself a messiah. You're just a naughty boy(2)."

"_You…how can you have this much power?_" Hojo said. "_You're just a biological specimen, you're not a goddess, no matter what…_"

"Bored now." With those two words, said in a lilting tone, Hojo was ripped in two(3). His innards and blood fell right onto Jenova, who bathed in the gore with an almost beatific expression on her face. She reached out with her mind, purging Hojo and Sephiroth's influence from the Jenova cells that had made up Hojo's body as she absorbed them. She still absorbed his memories as she did so.

She smirked, even as she inwardly grimaced at the rotten taste of his thoughts. He had been planning to use the Sister Ray all along, to try and send Sephiroth more Mako, but in the process, overloading the Mako Reactors around Midgar, and potentially destroying the city. But first, the Sister Ray had to get up and running. And when he got word of his specimens escaping, Hojo, who had a ridiculous sense of entitlement, intended to capture them for himself.

Hojo seemed to have a weird worship thing of Sephiroth now, claiming that science was powerless before Sephiroth's god-like power in his own mind. Jenova sniffed. Hojo had forgotten the first principle of a scientist: that everything has an explanation, even the seemingly inexplicable. Even magic could be explained, if studied enough. Jenova believed that, even being effectively the goddess of another world, even if there was no readily available explanation for how she came into being.

She felt the Jenova cells, now purged of Hojo and Sephiroth's dark influence, fill her with even greater strength. And probably just as well. She could sense something coming this way.

Almost silently, something rose over the parapet of the roof, born aloft by special Materia. It was at least four storeys tall, blood red in colour. It was the shape of a man, but with four clawed arms, and weapons everywhere, including a large rail cannon on the back. Both sets of arms were folded, arrogantly.

Jenova watched as the thing hovered over to the heliport, and landed gently, even gracefully. She clapped, with only a small tinge of sarcasm. It was actually quite an impressive feat to make something so large fly and land like that.

External speakers burst into life on the thing. "_You may very well applaud, bitch. It won't stop you from dying._"

"Scarlet," Jenova said with a sigh. "Seriously, don't you know? I'm hard to kill."

"_I noticed. You're like a cockroach who refuses to submit to the heel of a boot. Where's Hojo?_"

"I ate him." Jenova grimaced. "I wouldn't recommend him as a dish. Rank and rotten to the core. Nearly gave me indigestion. I'm sure that when I do the same to Sephiroth, it'll be more appetising."

Scarlet's scoff sounded like a small explosion over the external speakers of her mecha. "_But there won't BE a time when you do the same to Sephiroth. Shinra Inc will be the ones to save the world! You, however, will be reduced to a footnote at best. Destroyed by the might of the anti-Weapon mobile artillery, the Proud-Clad!_"

"Really?" Jenova smiled, showing the blood-red Summon Materia clasped in her hand. The Knights of the Round, ready to be used. "I took it off you when I had you by the throat. Let's see how your weapon stands up to…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. A hail of gunfire annihilated her hand, sending the Summon Materia over the parapet. With a thought and a mild grimace, she regrew her hand. "That was very rude, you know! You were supposed to let me finish!" And with that, she leapt off the edge of the building, black, raven-like wings spreading from her back.

Scarlet hesitated only briefly, astonished at Jenova showing yet another ability. Then again, her offspring in the Jenova project, save, to date, for Sephiroth, had shown the ability to sprout at least one wing. Engaging the Proud-Clad's own flight mechanism, she followed, driving the Proud-Clad over the edge…

**CHAPTER 27 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Whoa. Jenova versus Hojo, and now, it's time for Jenova versus Scarlet in the Proud-Clad. Hopefully, these will be some pretty awesome chapters. And Scarlet shows enough savvy to shoot the Knights of the Round Materia out of Jenova's hand. She's making a comeback. If you think Hojo dying so early is a bit anticlimactic, deal with it. The guy's a dingus, he deserves it.**

**Jenova also reveals her growing heroism. She's still a brutal and sadistic person, but she's now found a better ****_raison d'etre_**** than 'infect and control' everything.**

**For those of you wondering about Cloud and the others, the next chapter is called ****_The Cavalry Arrives_****. Harry will also be more of a focus in the next chapter, I hope.**

**1\. One issue I decided to change was the name of the Proud Clod. Who was the 'genius' (I use the term very loosely) who thought that name was a remotely appropriate translation? There's an enemy in ****_Final Fantasy XIII_**** called the Proudclad, so I decided to use a variation of that as the correct name. I thought Clad worked well because it's basically a mecha, ****_clad_**** in armour.**

**2\. Couldn't resist a reference to ****_Life of Brian_****. :P**

**3\. I love Alyson Hunnigan's delivery of this line as Dark Willow in ****_Buffy the Vampire Slayer_****, so I decided to have Jenova deliver it in a similar way before killing Hojo in an equally brutal manner to how DW kills Warren. I'm not a fan of the series, BTW, but I noted its influence on pop-culture, and look up references.**

**CHAPTER 27 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Jenova Versus Hojo****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_****, from ****_Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and the Black Mages.**

**Behold, The Proud-Clad!****: ****_The First Malformation of G_****, from ****_Resident Evil 2_****, composed by Masami Ueda et al. Given the four arms Proud-Clad has, and the red colour, it reminded me a little of Birkin's mutated form.**


	36. Chapter 28: The Cavalry Arrives

**CHAPTER 28:**

**THE CAVALRY ARRIVES**

_And it had been going so well_, Aerith reflected as the Shinra troopers surrounded them in the foyer of the Shinra building. Without their weapons, they couldn't fight their way through, and fleeing wasn't an option now. To have this many surrounding them, that cow Scarlet must've radioed ahead.

However, as the commander of the troops debated where to take them, a salvation of the most unexpected sort walked through the doors. Four people who normally worked here.

"Rufus Shinra, sir!" the commander said, saluting, nervously.

"At ease, man," Rufus said. "I am here to reclaim stolen property." His eyes narrowed at the commander, who gulped. He knew what Rufus meant.

"Th-th-then I will help you reclaim it, sir."

"Good man."

"Sir, Scarlet's the president now! We have to arrest…" Any further word the brave, or foolish, trooper said was cut off by a gunshot and a scream of pain, as Rufus shot the man in the knee.

"Take the man to the infirmary. Tell him he should be grateful, as I usually deal with thieves and their accomplices far more harshly. Though to be fair, I will deal with Scarlet myself. And she will wish I merely kneecapped her after I am done." He then turned to the Turks flanking him, as well as the nervous-looking man in the suit and with the beard. "Reno, Rude, Reeve, with me. Elena, escort these four to the _Highwind_."

"Rufus," Aerith said. "Hojo's become a monster, literally. He injected himself with Jenova cells. Jenova is fighting him off. In addition, Scarlet's scurried off."

Rufus' eyes widened. He then turned to Elena. "Get them back to the _Highwind_ now!"

"But what are you going to do?" Cid demanded.

"Recover my stolen property, of course. I only need Reno and Rude. Elena, you have your orders."

"Sir!" she saluted, before she gestured to the four nearly-prisoners to follow her.

Harry's eyes widened when he saw who was there, amongst the members of AVALANCHE who were there. "Sirius?!" he yelled.

Sirius grinned, and waved. "Sorry to worry you, Pup. I…"

Harry ran to give him a hug, to punch him in the stomach for worrying him, doing something…until something fell to the ground next to him, and bounced with a musical _ting_. He caught it as it arced down again. He stared at the blood red orb in his hand.

"Hey, good on you, Harry. You've got the reflexes of a Seeker, like Prongs," Sirius said with a grin.

"Isn't that a Summon Materia?" Cid asked.

"It's Knights of the Round," Aerith whispered. Suddenly, a noise from above drew her attention, and she looked up. Her eyes widened, almost comically. "SCATTER!" she screamed.

The group scattered, as something very large and very red smashed into the ground. But this was no crash-landing. Whatever it was had landed with surprising grace, on one knee.

"What the hell is that?!" Barrett bellowed, aiming his gun-arm at it.

"Scarlet's pride and joy," Cait Sith said. "Anti-Weapon mobile artillery, the Proud-Clad!"

Jenova swooped in, two raven-black wings spread out from her back, and landed gracefully. Harry stared at her. As much as he felt ambivalent about her, he had to say that was one hell of an entrance. "Wicked," he murmured.

Proud-Clad looked around, taking in the members of AVALANCHE, along with Elena and Sirius. "_Ah, so the criminals and traitors are all gathered here_," Scarlet's voice boomed from the external speakers.

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time I've been called that," Sirius said, grinning ruefully. "You've got a nice voice, y'know. Shame about the attitude that'd put a Malfoy to shame."

"_You? But you're dead!_" Scarlet snapped.

"Nope. Very nearly was. Allow me to introduce myself: Sirius Black. Ladies man, excellent magical duellist, and Harry's godfather. And let me tell you, lady," Sirius said, his eyes narrowing, "I take a _lot_ of offence when anyone tries to kill my godson."

"_Your offence is irrelevant, Sirius Black. This was designed to fight Weapons. It's overkill for the likes of you, but I don't care._"

"Harry!" Jenova yelled, seeing the Materia in his hand. "Throw that over here!"

Harry did so, but Jenova's shout had attracted Scarlet's attention. With pinpoint accuracy, she shot the Materia, sending it spiralling away.

And then, all hell broke loose. Scarlet turned her weapons on AVALANCHE and their allies, not caring for the members of the public who were in the way. They were all useless to her anyway. Sirius, by using wandless and Materia-less magic to create a shield, protected them, though he was more concerned about saving the lives of his new friends, and his godson. Not that he wanted to endanger the civilians. In fact, he would have been glad of saving them, once he was out of his Hit-Wizard mode of concentration.

Aerith scurried after the rolling Summon Materia, only to have to dive out of the way of a blast from the Proud-Clad.

"_Accio!_" Sirius yelled, the Materia flying into his hand. But the Proud-Clad only turned its attention onto him. He threw the Materia over to Cloud, who snatched it out of the air, before being knocked back by a blast from the Proud-Clad, sending the Materia skittering away...

* * *

Heidegger was waiting nervously in the boardroom. He had been waiting there for some time for Scarlet to come back with her prisoners in tow. And Palmer wasn't good company, swigging as he did from a hip flask as he did every so often.

So it was to his utter (and terminal) surprise when Rufus barged in, flanked by the Turks and Reeve. "Rufus?" Heidegger demanded, his eyes wide. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Taking back my company," Rufus sneered. "I'd call it a hostile takeover, but that would presume that the company isn't mine to begin with." He raised the shotgun until it was level with Heidegger's head.

"No, wait, Rufus, we can make a deal!" Heidegger said desperately. "If you spare me, I'll help."

"Until the next opportunity comes for you to stab me in the back? I don't think so. Any last words before I send you to the Knacker's Yard, Horse-Laugh?"

"You can't do this!" Heidegger yelled, partially in indignation, and partly out of fear. "I was your father's loyal subordinate!"

"But you weren't _mine_." The shotgun bucked in Rufus' hand, the bark of the weapon loud in the boardroom. Heidegger's head dissolved into a spray of blood and brain, decorating the walls in macabre colours. "Which is rather the point."

The shotgun turned on Palmer, who was staring at Rufus in fear. With a whimper, the man fainted. Rufus noticed a puddle forming beneath the man, and scowled. The man fainted AND pissed himself. That carpet was expensive to clean, and Rufus already had to deal with Heidegger's mess!

That being said, Rufus also knew that Palmer was easily bullied into doing what others wanted of him. Unlike Heidegger, he wouldn't be getting a lead salad severance package.

"Right," Rufus said, as if he was in a boardroom meeting rather than having murdered a former underling. "Reeve, find out the status of the Sister Ray. Find out how long it will be until the damn thing can be fired. Like it or not, it may be our best hope of breaching Sephiroth's barrier at the Crater."

Reeve nodded, and took out his PHS. As he began speaking, Rufus turned to the Turks. "Reno, Rude, we need to find Scarlet."

Reno nodded. "I'll call Elena. Maybe the others might have a better idea of where she was." He then activated his PHS. "Yo, Elena? Could you ask one of the would-be escapees where they last saw Scarlet?"

"_Not a good time, Reno!_"

"Why? What's the matter?"

"_Scarlet's down here already, in the Proud-Clad!_"

Rufus, Reno, and Rude shared a look. Rufus snatched the PHS from Reno. "Hold tight, Elena. I'll send some troops down to help!" He then disconnected.

"We've got to go help her!" Reno yelled.

"Reno, Rude! Stay here!" As the Turks turned to him, glowering mutinously, Rufus said, "Must I remind you of the oath you swore to me after that whole mess under Veld's administration of the Turks? I need you with me in case my rhetoric and my shotgun aren't enough to sway my employees. And Elena is with AVALANCHE. If they can't beat the Proud-Clad together, what makes you think your contribution will make a difference?"

Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and Rufus ran over to a computer console where Reeve was already staring at what was on the screen. "Damn!" Rufus screamed, losing his cool. "Damn this thing to Hell!"

"What's wrong, boss?" Reno asked.

"Things have gone from bad to worse. An old friend has turned up," Rufus said, though they didn't miss the sarcastic lilt on the word 'friend'. "And he's bought company. I thought only we could get cavalry arriving…"

* * *

When he was created, he knew his purpose. It was to return as much Mako Energy to the Lifestream, to assist the Planet that birthed him in its time of need. But he slumbered, because the crisis passed, and the Calamity was sealed. And there yet may come a time when he and his siblings were needed again.

But now, a new crisis had eventuated. The Calamity had been unleashed once more. And he and his siblings had been loosed upon the Planet yet again.

He felt sadness and sorrow, a sorrow more profound and deep than any human was capable of feeling. He knew what he was doing. He felt sorrow for the lives that he had to destroy to help the Planet weather the coming disaster. But the Planet had to endure, or there could be no lives to live on it in the first place.

Sapphire and Ultima were search and destroy units, designed to seek out the Calamity and purge it from the world, as was their now perished sibling, Jade. Emerald and Ruby were sentinels, intended to monitor the situation within the oceans and the desert, and intervene if necessary as back-ups to the others. Omega was the final sanction, the last resort, and may he never be needed.

It was Diamond's cruel duty to purge other forms of life to strengthen the Lifestream. Namely, humans.

He didn't want to. Even as he was born, he saw the manifold things humans could do, whether they were normal, or of the Cetra. The cruelty, and the wonders. Through the Mako Energy that fuelled him, he saw their lives, filled with folly and fury and fun. Even now, even as he knew that humanity was trying to drain the Planet dry, he wept for their coming demise. He knew not all of humanity was represented by Shinra. But it meant little to his duty, and he must do it.

_Diamond!_ Ultima screamed at him as Diamond emerged from the shores near Midgar.

**I hear you, brother. You can cease shouting. You are as bad as your sister, Sapphire**. The voice of Diamond Weapon, had it been actually audible to human ears, was as soft as a whisper, and yet, had all the power of rumbling thunder.

Ultima bristled. _We are the only ones taking active measures to safeguard the Planet! Emerald is content to destroy the occasional underwater contrivance of the humans, while Ruby sits in the desert, watching that hedonistic complex of the humans! And you! Why have you waited until now to advance on this vampiric dwelling of humans?_

**Why have YOU waited, overeager brother of mine?** Diamond asked mildly.

_I needed to track down the Calamity again! For a moment, they left the Planet on the human contrivance! It's only now that I managed to sense them again! In fact, this is perfect! Between the two of us, we can annihilate this parasitic dwelling, and purge the Calamity from this world!_

**I will annihilate it because it is my duty**, Diamond said solemnly, beginning to stride towards Midgar. **You, however, seem to have confused duty with vendetta. I know of what happened at your other battlefield. Your targets emerged from the Lifestream. If the Planet wished them destroyed, then it would have finished the job you started.**

_I WILL NOT ACCEPT FAILURE OR CRITICISM!_ Ultima snarled.

**Then purge this metropolis of the Calamity, and ****_only_**** the Calamity**, Diamond said. **I shall do the rest**.

Ultima flew off with a sullen snarl, while Diamond continued his relentless march towards Midgar. He wept for the lives that were to be lost, but he knew that to not do his duty would be to invite further disaster…

**CHAPTER 28 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Wow. What a chapter. Harry, AVALANCHE, and Scarlet playing Hot Potato with the Knights of the Round Materia, Rufus is taking his company back, and now, Diamond and Ultima Weapons are about to attack Midgar.**

**As for the Weapons' various personalities, I decided that the Jenova-seekers had more vindictive personalities, while the sentinels and harvesters (Diamond Weapon is a harvester) are somewhat more contemplative. While the Jenova-seekers will destroy human settlements to bolster the Lifestream, their primary goal is to destroy anything with a Jenova influence.**

**Since giving Ultima Weapon a voice and personality in Chapter 20, I decided then and there that Diamond would be somewhat more sympathetic. Unlike Ultima, who is overzealous and prideful, Diamond is more introspective and lugubrious. He still kills people. That's his duty. But it doesn't mean he has to like it.**

**I thought about who I would like to have voicing Diamond, as I said Gabriel Woolf would be a good Ultima Weapon. After some thought, and considering both Valentine Dyall and Tony Jay (sadly, both deceased), I decided that Christopher Lee would be a damned good choice.**

**No numbered annotations this chapter. Sorry.**

**CHAPTER 28 SOUNDTRACK:**

**The Proud-Clad's Power****: ****_The Second Malformation of G_****, from ****_Resident Evil 2_****, composed by Masami Ueda et al. I remember reading a comment on a YouTube video of this song saying that this song basically says "WHERE'S YOUR GOD NOW?" I wanted to evoke the same feeling with the Proud-Clad.**

**Diamond Weapon's March****: ****_The Theme of Tyrant 3: A_****, from ****_Resident Evil: Code Veronica_****, composed by Takeshi Miura et al. Having used another ****_Resident Evil_**** boss battle theme for Ultima Weapon, I wanted something a bit more ponderous for Diamond Weapon. I think this may have worked.**


	37. Chapter 29: The Destroyers

**CHAPTER 29:**

**THE DESTROYERS**

Harry ran from cover to cover, trying to avoid Scarlet's attacks. Thankfully, playing Dudley's ethically dubious game of Harry Hunting had given him the ability to sprint quite fast. Not that there was much cover in the square outside the Shinra Hedquarters, but every bit counted. Aerith had told him to keep to cover and try and stay out of the battle. He had protested, but now he could see why. The Proud-Clad was giving everyone a hard time. Its ability to nullify the effects of magic using a specialised Reflect spell made things even harder.

At one point, Barrett used the Ultima Materia he'd obtained in Corel, as he was the only one not affected by the Proud-Clad's Reflect. Harry watched on in awe as the Proud-Clad was enveloped in a massive, green explosion that seemed to scream with the fury of the Planet. The massive robot-like thing was knocked down, smoke pouring from its joints.

Something rolled over to nudge against his foot with a musical tinkle. He looked down, and knelt down to grab what looked like the Knights of the Round Materia.

* * *

In the cockpit, Scarlet groaned. The Proud-Clad was taking a pounding, thanks to the tenacity of these pests. This mecha was designed to fight Weapons, how come it was being damaged by a dozen or so cockroaches?

And to make matters worse, a communications came in on her priority channel. It was an automatic system to warn of any possible adversaries advancing on Midgar. And two were nearby. Weapons.

No. Not now. She wouldn't let them destroy everything she held dear.

With a grunt, she willed the Proud-Clad to get to its feet. As she did so, she saw the Potter boy nearby, picking up a very familiar red Materia.

Lightning-fast, she lunged over and grabbed the boy. As he squirmed in her grasp, she turned to the others and activated the external speakers again. She snarled, "I have to go and destroy the Weapons. Follow me, and the boy dies!" And then, she activated the flight systems, sending the Proud-Clad soaring into the sky.

She saw the draconic form of Ultima Weapon first, soaring towards the city. But when it spotted her, it changed course to follow, roaring.

_Good. You recognise me as a threat. Well, smile, you son of a bitch_.

The cannon on the back of the Proud Clad rotated to face the pursuing Ultima Weapon, and then fired. The creature dodged the first two shots, but the third smashed into it, causing it to fall back with an enraged bellow, smoke billowing from its body.

As Scarlet soared above the plains, she spotted her other target. It was hard not to. It was massive, standing at least fifty feet high, and yet, it seemed almost squat. Its shoulders were wide, almost wing-like. It was a grey colour, with a red core mounted within its chest. Massive, clawed hands and feet were on the end of thick limbs. The face was strange, almost like a bear, if warped and changed.

Scarlet decided she needed an edge. It was the reason she abducted Harry, after all. Using him as a hostage was a side benefit. She landed the Proud-Clad on a hill not far away from the Weapon, albeit behind a rock so that she was out of sight and hopefully, out of the line of fire. Then, she prepared to disembark, if only temporarily. What she intended to do would ensure that she alone was triumphant…

* * *

Harry was a bit woozy. Scarlet suddenly snatching him in one of the Proud-Clad's hands had shocked him, and the sudden, speedy flight, combined with Scarlet attacking the pursuing Ultima Weapon, had overwhelmed him. He was amazed his glasses had stayed on this whole time. If he ever got out of this alive, he would either ask for contact lenses, or see if there was any magical means of healing his eyes.

He was also amazed he managed to cling on to the Materia for the Knights of the Round summon. The Materia was warm in his hand, reassuring him. He still couldn't get over the fact that, within this red crystal the size and shape of a golf ball, lay the spirits of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. How was that possible?

They had stopped moving, and suddenly, Harry found himself sprawling on rocky ground, as the hand of the Proud-Clad released him.

The robot kneeled, and the cockpit opened up. Scarlet, now dressed in a figure-hugging coverall, clambered out. She then strode over to Harry. "The Materia, now!"

Harry shook his head. "Go to hell, _bitch_," he snapped. It was probably the very first time he had sworn at someone, or the first time he remembered. And he meant every word. Had Aerith heard, she would have been torn between moritification, and satisfaction at Harry's venomous defiance.

Scarlet strode over to him and kicked him in the face, hard, sending his glasses flying. As he cried in pain, she grabbed his hand, curled tightly over the Materia, and snarled, "It wasn't a request, you little piece of shit. It was an order." She plucked the Materia from his hand, and stood.

Harry, though he didn't have his glasses, glared up at Scarlet. "You're just a bully! A stupid, bullying woman! And you're ugly!"

Scarlet's eyes widened, before she kicked him, again, in the stomach. "Learn your place, you little piece of shit! Everyone must learn their place! And that is below me! Me, the ruler of all the world!"

She then clambered along the rocks, until she saw Diamond Weapon lumbering along, approaching this hill. She sneered. _I'll show them! I'll show them all!_ She channelled her power into the Materia, and called out "Final End!"

* * *

Ultima Weapon was furious. He had been shot in the face by that construct of the humans. And what was more, it had hurt! The damned thing had actually hurt badly. And Ultima Weapon didn't take being hurt lying down. If he knew of the Latin phrase _Nemo me impune lacessit(_1), then he would've adopted it as a motto.

He saw the construct and its pilot on a cliff near his fool of a brother. Ultima wouldn't mind seeing Diamond Weapon being hurt, but he cared more about the injury done to him. The fact that there was the Cetra boy nearby meant little. He had been contaminated by the Calamity. He needed to be destroyed. It was the reason why Ultima Weapon had pursued the contruct in the first place.

But even as Ultima sped for them, something hit it, knocking it off course. It halted in mid-air, and spun around, snarling. And there it was, the Calamity itself, still wearing its parody of a human form, but with two wings, black as night, spread from its back.

"'Sup?(2)" Jenova asked.

* * *

Nothing happened. Scarlet stared at the Materia in sheer disbelief. Disbelief gave way to fury, and she turned on Harry. "What the hell did you do to this?" she screamed.

"Nothing," Harry moaned, clutching the bruises where Scarlet had kicked him.

"LIAR!" Scarlet screamed, running over to him, and kicking him again. "DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME, YOU CETRA FREAK!"

Harry felt rage surge up inside him. "I'M NOT A FREAK!"

Scarlet sneered, hauling Harry up by the neck with both hands, dropping the Materia in her anger. "Oh, yes you are! A dirty, little, worthless FREAK! Just like everyone else in my way! Me, the Empress of this Planet!"

Once more, Scarlet made the mistake of pissing off Harry while at close range. He didn't use a Limit Break though. He didn't have to. As hard as he could, he kicked Scarlet in the stomach. Her eyes bulged, and she gagged, her diaphragm spasming as she tried to take a breath.

Harry, released, fell to the ground, hard. But he had enough presence of mind to get the Materia. He sneered at Scarlet, with an expression of such venom and hatred and contempt, no child should have it on his face. He seemed about to say something, before he shook his head. He eventually said, "You're not an Empress. You're just a bully. Just because you're grown up means nothing. I thought I had never met a worse bully than my aunt or my uncle, or Dudley. You're like my aunt, you know that? Thinks she's the queen of her little world. You're worse even than Voldemort or Sephiroth, because once you don't have your toys…you're nothing." He looked down at her. "You can't even beat a ten-year old."

**Well said**, came a voice into his mind, as deep as an oceanic abyss, and as dark as the event horizon of a black hole. And as he turned to face the source, the colour drained out of the world, and with it, time. Everything froze just as Harry came face to face with the Weapon, which had managed to climb the hill as he and Scarlet had fought. **But words will avail you naught, young Cetra. I am sorry.**

And Harry knew now that he was in even greater trouble than he was before…

* * *

Jenova smiled as Ultima Weapon glared at her. The very monster created to defeat her was dumbstruck. Not a state of affairs that would last for long, of course.

"I'm sorry, did one of your own Silence spells backfire? Do you even use Silence? I recommend an Echo Screen."

_SILENCE!_ the creature bellowed into her mind. The Weapons could speak to all Cetra, and Jenova, even before she took some of Harry's cells, had infected many Cetra during her initial advent.

"Not very creative, you know. Yelling 'silence!', I mean. But then, you wouldn't know about creation, would you? With you, it's just destruction. That is your purpose. I admit, I was guilty of the same thing. Destroying what I couldn't absorb. We're both Destroyers, you and I. But I have realised that. What's the point of dominion over the living, when I all do is kill or consume?" She glanced at the gigantic wings protruding from her back, easily the wingspan of an airplane. Her body was no longer covered by the suit not unlike Rufus', but an elegant variation of the armour that covered her battle-form, showing off the curves of her body, while covering everything bar her head. If Minerva could appear in armour, then so could she. "Look at these wings."

Ultima merely roared and surged forward, only for Jenova to vanish, and appear behind him. "You're not looking," she sighed. "Originally, in my battle-form, it had wings, ugly things of flesh. But I didn't need wings like that. It took me a long time to realise, once I was beautiful, not a grotesque parody of beauty. I was like the Goddess who birthed you, the intelligence of an entire world."

_That is blasphemy!_ Ultima roared, firing a beam at her, which she dodged effortlessly.

As Ultima Weapon's attacks continued, Jenova said, "It's the truth, a truth I found hard to believe, one that I forgot so long ago. Once, I had pets like you to do my bidding. Once, I summoned my Omega and my Chaos to save the Lifestream of my world. I came here to save my Planet!"

_LIES!_ Ultima said, sending Jenova flying with a Shadow Flare, the air around her body briefly strobing from positive to negative. She crashed into the side of a mountain with a cry of pain, embedded in a hole. _YOU ARE THE CALAMITY! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME ON THIS PLANET! I WILL PURGE YOU FROM EXISTENCE LIKE THE BLIGHT YOU ARE!_

Jenova looked up at Ultima Weapon, and grinned, painfully. "It's like I told you before, Ultima Weapon. I am evolution embodied. Whereas you have remained stagnant. Unchanging. My body remembers things. In fact, I believe in many ways, I am not unlike a living Enemy Skills Materia. And that Shadow Flare really hit the spot. I wonder…you can dish it out. But can you take it **_BACK?!_**"

She held out her hand in a halting gesture. Suddenly, Ultima Weapon's body flared from positive to negative. He roared in pain, flailing and spasming as the magic ate into his body. As he weakened, Jenova pulled herself from the hole she had been embedded in on the side of the mountain. Her wings spread out, and her eyes glowed with a new light. The light of a Limit Break.

She flew into the sky, energy gathering around her outstretched fist as she flew at speeds no human could endure. "**_FIST OF THE CALAMITY!_**" she screamed triumphantly.

Ultima Weapon brought his hands in front of his body, crossed in front of each other, trying to shield himself from the attack. But Jenova was stronger, and she blasted through the body of the Weapon like a bullet through jelly(3).

Ultima, as he fell, whimpered, _No…I have failed the Planet….the Calamity…it was too strong for me…impossible…impossible_…

Then, the Weapon fell from the sky. When it hit the ground, a massive explosion rocked the area, and a crater was eaten into the very earth.

When the dust cleared, only Jenova was left, looking down at the crater not in triumph or with any satisfaction. But perhaps relief.

* * *

Harry stared into the eyes of the Weapon. And it stared back. Harry knew nothing of either Nietzsche or staring into abysses that stare back. But he would have understood that then and there.

The Weapon eventually spoke again. **So, you are the Cetra child that Ultima was so furious about. Strange, how such a small child could prove to be bothersome. But the blood of the Ancients flow through your veins. You are one of the rightful heirs to the Planet**(4).

Harry stared up at the Weapon. He couldn't move his mouth, but his thoughts echoed all the same. _What are you doing? Why are the Weapons attacking us?_

The Weapon all but blinked, insomuch as it could with time standing still. **Because it is necessary, child. Do you not know the heritage of your own people?**

_No. I come from another world. And Aerith and I…we're the only Cetra left on the Planet. Well, Sirius too, I guess_.

**Ah. One of the exiles, who fled the Planet during the original Calamity. Or rather, a descendant of the exiles. It saddens me to know that the Cetra are almost no more**.

_How can you be saddened? You're trying to kill people!_

**Yes. But for the Greater Good, I must. I am Diamond Weapon, the harvester of life. Do you not know about the Lifestream, child? For every human, every animal and plant that dies, energy returns to the Lifestream. With the threat of Meteor about to come down, the Planet needs every scrap of energy that it can to survive.**

Harry's eyes would have widened if he could move. _But that's what Sephiroth wants! That's why he summoned Meteor. They told me he intended to absorb all the Lifestream that would be gathered at the wound Meteor creates! He wants to become a God!_

Diamond Weapon considered this. Eventually, he said, **An insane scheme. I know of the one of whom you speak, the one who sits behind a fortress of energy within the Great Northern Crater. But even to one as powerful as he, he cannot hope to absorb so much Lifestream without destroying himself. It may be possible that he does manage it. But it is more likely that he will merely destroy himself, and take perhaps the whole Planet with him. Either way, the Planet will suffer, and perhaps die.**

For a time, there was a pause. Eventually, Harry said, _What will you do?_

**I will do what is my purpose, child. I shall return you and the woman to the Lifestream. And then, all those in the human dwellings. Only then does the Planet have a chance at survival**.

_No! We can beat Sephiroth! We want to fight him, to stop him! Aerith has summoned Holy!_

**And it is being blocked by Sephiroth. I know this. And even if you do the unthinkable, and free Holy from its chains, what then? It may destroy Meteor, but it subjects the entire Planet and all who dwell on it to Judgement. Humans may very well be erased from existence along with Meteor. You have been absorbing the Lifestream for your own, petty ends**. Colour bled back into the world, and the Weapon raised a massive paw, to send it crashing down on Harry. **I am sorry, child. I will make your death quick**.

Harry dodged as Diamond Weapon sent the Proud-Clad hurtling off the cliff, and thrust out the Summon Materia. "I'm sorry too. But I won't let you kill anyone any more." As the Summon Materia glowed, and tears ran from his eyes, he called out, "Final End!"

Diamond Weapon's eyes widened as knight after knight attacked it. Then, at the end of the interminable onslaught, Arthur materialised once more. _"For Merlin, for Godric, for Rowena, for Helga, and for Salazar…I will slay you!_" With that final attack, Diamond Weapon was cleaved in two.

As the bottom half of the creature fell away, down the cliff it had climbed up, the eyes, the ancient, knowing eyes of Diamond Weapon focused on Harry. No hatred in them, just sorrow. Eventually, Diamond Weapon said, **I sleep now, until all heroes die, and our services are truly needed, may that day never come again. Go, Cetra child, and do not fail the Planet**. And then, it let go, falling silently.

For a moment, Harry stood there silently, even as the ground rocked and shuddered from Diamond Weapon's body hitting the ground. Then, an arm snaked around his neck from behind.

"Now I get it…" Scarlet hissed, plucking the Materia from his grasp. "I ran out of magical energy, or enough to use this Materia. Should've drank an Ether. But we don't have any, which is a shame. Now, come with me, you little shit. You're my hostage…"

**CHAPTER 29 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, Ultima and Diamond Weapons have been defeated. The Proud-Clad has been destroyed. But Scarlet isn't out for the count yet. Jenova kicks Ultima Weapon's arse (partly because she's more confident now, and partly because she's grown more powerful after consuming Hojo). And Harry gets what is easily his most badass moments so far: verbally smacking down Scarlet, staring down Diamond Weapon, and killing him with Knights of the Round. And Diamond Weapon faces his death with considerably more dignity than his brother.**

**Harry also swears for the first time, or at least pretty strong stuff. Partly AVALANCHE's influence (one reviewer noted that Cid and Barrett are major potty-mouths), and partly because, well, this is Scarlet we're talking about here.**

**BTW, sorry if Jenova basically being an Enemy Skills Materia seems like an asspull. I thought maybe she might have that ability, given that she's a being that assimilates memory and biological strength. Plus, I thought it appropriate for Ultima Weapon to have Shadow Flare turned against him.**

**By the way, noticed Diamond Weapon using the phrase 'for the Greater Good'? Yep, that was deliberate…**

**1\. I mentioned this famous Latin phrase in my ****_Borderlands 2_**** fanfic, ****_Hooked on a Feeling_****. ****_Nemo me impune lacessit_**** means 'Nobody attacks me with impunity'. Or, 'nobody attacks me and gets away with it'.**

**2\. I thought of Lilith's cool debut in ****_Borderlands 2_****, and her rather casual words to the player, so I pinched it for Jenova. I very nearly wrote a character splash, but I had to forcibly remind myself (with a rolled up newspaper) that this isn't a ****_Borderlands _****crossover.**

**3\. Here, Jenova is channelling what Goku did to King Piccolo in the original ****_Dragonball_****. Only Jenova, while injured, is nowhere near as bad a state as Goku was at the end of that battle…**

**4\. I deliberately echoed Sephiroth's similar line when he goes insane in Nibelheim.**

**CHAPTER 29 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Scarlet's Fury, Harry's Abduction, and Ultima's Pursuit****: ****_Battle Against the Four Fiends_**** (Black Mages version), from ****_Final Fantasy IV_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, performed by the Black Mages.**

**The Calamity versus the Weapon****: ****_KURAYAMINOKUMO_**** (aka, ****_This is the Last Battle_****, Black Mages version), from ****_Final Fantasy III_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, performed by the Black Mages.**

**Diamonds Aren't Forever, or, The Cetra Boy and the Ancient Weapon****: ****_The Kingdom of Burmecia_****, from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.**


	38. Chapter 30: Vengeance is Mine

**CHAPTER 30:**

**VENGEANCE IS MINE**

The _Highwind_ rushed towards the battlefield on metaphorical wings of urgency. Once Scarlet had taken off in the Proud-Clad, Jenova began pursuing shortly thereafter on her own wings. The others went to the _Highwind_, united by the need to save Harry Potter.

They had seen, in the distance, the explosion from Ultima Weapon dying. It wasn't long afterwards that they saw the reason for it, hovering in mid-air with gigantic black wings. Jenova.

As the _Highwind_ pulled up alongside her, she flew onto the deck, where Aerith and Sirius were waiting anxiously, with surprising grace, her wings disappearing as she landed. "_Now_ you show up when everything's practically over," she remarked.

"Where's Harry?" Aerith asked.

"Probably kicking ass, as you humans like to say," Jenova said. "I sensed the other Weapon dying. And the distinctive feel of a Summon being used. I doubt it was Scarlet. That anti-Weapon mecha she was using is impressive, but I don't think it would have done much. And she was out of magic juice earlier anyway. Unless she managed to drink an Ether, she probably didn't use it."

Aerith looked at the alien entity. "Can you find him? I mean, you were in his mind before, and there are still your cells within him."

Jenova smiled. "Why, yes. There can't be a Reunion if the disparate fragments can't tell where each other is. Better than that, I can piggyback on his senses, even speak to him." She closed her eyes, and inhaled. For a moment, she didn't move, before muttering, "Shit."

"What's the matter?" Sirius demanded. "Has that bitch got Pup?"

Jenova nodded. "She's climbing down from the hill…moving in amongst the rocks…she thinks she can still use Harry as a hostage. She has a few offensive Materia on her bracelet, I didn't take those off her when I stole Knights of the Round off her."

"We've got to get after her!" Sirius yelled.

Jenova nodded again. "I'll act as a spotter. I can fly, and see through Harry's eyes, warn him that we're coming. I'll use a PHS to tell you where Harry is. Scarlet's getting desperate. She may kill Harry on an impulse if we're not careful. She's becoming deranged, more so than she usually is…"

* * *

Harry knew this, even as Scarlet pulled him roughly down the rocky slope. Oh, how he wished he could get away from her. But she had pulled him away with a strength born of insanity and determination. He remembered, once, how he had been chased by Dudley and his gang at school. Even as he tried to dive behind some bins to hide, he suddenly found himself on the roof of the school. He had gotten into trouble, then.

He frowned. Maybe that was what Sirius had called Apparition. That teleportation thing. That must've been how he was able to get off the rocket. Harry hadn't been thinking clearly, his mind clouded by grief, when it had happened. Maybe he could do it again. But he just couldn't concentrate, not with Scarlet yanking him by the arm every so often.

A distant sound had caught her ears, and she swore profusely upon seeing the Highwind. As Harry looked to the distant airship, Scarlet growled, "Don't think they can save you, brat. The moment they so much as look at me funny, I set you on fire." She tapped her bracelet meaningfully. "That bitch Jenova didn't steal all of my Materia, thankfully. I have some Mastered Magic Materia I'm just itching to use. And I know I have enough power to use it."

"And if you kill me, what's to stop them from killing you?" Harry hissed at her.

"The shock at seeing you dead. More than enough time for me to follow it up." She tittered dementedly. "People like you never understand," she said as she dragged Harry further down the slope.

"I understand you perfectly," Harry said with disgust in his voice.

"_Do __**not**__ look down upon me_," Scarlet hissed dangerously. "You're like everyone else, looking down on me when you're the tramps, the unwashed, the rats…" Her eyes flickered around feverishly, her blonde hair falling lank around her face. "That's why I had to aim for the top. So that they would NEVER look down on me ever again…" Her eyes screwed up, and tears began leaking from them. "Never, ever…again… Why? Why don't they obey me?!"

"Because you're a bully," Harry said.

It was the wrong thing to say, as she yanked him down the incline, even more painfully than before. "Oh, am I? AM I?! Well, if I am, then I'm the bully who has a hold on your life! I will kill you if I have to. Oh yes, and I will do it!"

"I thought you needed me and Aerith, as Cetra."

"No, no, not any more," Scarlet hissed, her teeth bared in a vaguely predatory expression. "You're just too much trouble, too much trouble. It's good that the Cetra all died, because if you and the girl and that scruffy idiot are any indication, _they would be too much trouble._"

They had reached a valley between the hill and a neighbouring mountain. As they did so, he asked, "Why are you doing this? I just saved you and Midgar from Diamond Weapon!"

"So?" Scarlet asked. "Am I supposed to feel indebted to you? I guess the masses would feel indebted, but that's how the world screws you over, asking for favours, using leverage…I exploit debts, I use leverage. I refuse to have them used on me." She pulled him towards a cave, little more than a crevasse in the rock. "Now, enough talking. Inside, damn you!"

As he was pulled into the dark cave with Scarlet, Harry heard a familiar voice, but tinged with an unfamiliar emotion, that of worry. _Harry, can you hear me? Just think the words_.

Harry resisted the urge to nod. _I'm here, Jenova. Scarlet has me._

_I know. I'm currently seeing through your eyes, and listening through your ears. Sorry for the intrusion_.

Once more, Harry had to resist the urge to betray himself, this time by stopping himself from laughing. Jenova had _apologised_ for intruding in his mind? _It's okay. How close are you?_

_Very. I'm telling them to be careful. Harry, don't do anything more to antagonise her. I mean it. She makes me as I was look like a paragon of sanity. Earlier, I infected her with my cells, while I was stealing Knights of the Round off her, but I don't think they're established enough for me to control her yet. I tried it with Rufus, and he managed to resist. In her deranged state, she might just kill you before I can take full control._

Harry nodded, but even so, he was still not sure how the others could stop Scarlet. If only he hadn't been weak or inattentive. He was going to die, and his new family and friends may die with him…

* * *

Barrett demanded to go with Aerith and Sirius to confront Scarlet. "That bitch took my arm. She took my family, my friends, and my hometown with her too." He looked over at Marlene, who was looking nervously at them from the other side of the Highwind's cargo area. "She killed Dyne that day, even if he was still walking around for some time after that," he added quietly.

"Barrett," Aerith said warningly, "this isn't about revenge."

"…I know," Barrett said, his face falling. "We need to save Harry. I don't want to see him dead at that bitch's hands. But one way or another, I want to see her die. Just to know that my nightmare has ended."

Aerith and Sirius looked at each other, before turning back to Barrett and nodding. "Okay, but if anything happens to Pup because of you…" Sirius threatened. "Well, let's just say that there's a reason why my family was considered Black by name, black by reputation. Understand?"

Barrett nodded, his eyes hard. "Perfectly."

* * *

The waiting was agonizing. All that they could hear, beyond the distant thrum of the _Highwind_'s engines, was the sound of their breathing. Finally, Harry heard Jenova say, _Heads up, Harry, they're on their way_.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was the crunch of footsteps on the rocky ground outside, and then the light was blotted out by the silhouettes of three people. Harry knew that they were Sirius, Aerith, and Barrett. Their outlines were very distinctive.

"_Lumos_," Sirius said quietly, and a ball of glowing energy formed in his hand, lighting the cave up.

"That's far enough," Scarlet hissed. "Far. E. Nough. One step closer, and I kill the boy."

"And then what?" Aerith asked.

"I kill you all. And then, I reclaim my throne, my rightful place at the top!" Scarlet hissed. As Sirius stepped forward, Scarlet's Materia lit up. "_You're killing him!_(1)"

"You're going to do that anyway," Sirius said. "You remind me so much of my cousin Bella, you know."

"And I can tell it's not a flattering comparison. Do you have any last words to say to your godson?"

"Yeah. _Accio Harry!_"

Harry felt himself being yanked forward, but Scarlet held on tight, despite the element of surprise, and they were dragged forward a foot at best. "THAT'S IT!" she screamed, holding him in front of her, despite the fact that she had stated her intent to kill him. "HE DIES!"

As the Fire spell lanced out towards him, Harry closed his eyes, wanting to be somewhere else…

…and he was. Stumbling into his surprised godfather's arms. Just like that time with Dudley and his gang. "Prongslet!" Sirius yelled in surprise.

Scarlet was surging to her feet, furious. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" she roared, preparing another spell.

Barrett raised his gun-arm, and fired. Strobing light filled the cave in staccato flashes. Like a series of rapid photographs, they lit up a macabre scene, Scarlet dancing a macabre dance under the force of the bullets hitting her. The wall behind her was painted very quickly with her blood.

Barrett stopped, only Sirius' light spell illuminating the grotesque figure in front of them. Scarlet, all but bisected by the hail of gunfire Barrett had turned upon her, much of her torso now little more than mince. Her eyes, even as they glazed over, held little more than hatred. She tried to say something, only to cough out a great spray of blood. Instead, she sagged to her knees, blood dribbling from her mouth, and then, she slumped to the ground. A grotesque gurgle signalled her last breath.

Scarlet was dead.

Barrett, wanting to make sure, stepped over her. He turned to the others. "Get him out of here. He doesn't want to see this."

Aerith and Sirius nodded, bustling Harry outside. And soon, more gunfire echoed from out of the cave, as Barrett turned Scarlet's head into mince…

* * *

On the _Highwind_, later, Harry was sitting with Aerith and Sirius by himself. He was shaken, not just because of his latest brush with death, but also because he had seen someone die, again, and in a horrible fashion. That Scarlet was evil didn't matter that much. To see her die so brutally had scarred him, just as much as Voldemort's attack had.

He didn't begrudge Barrett for killing Scarlet. The Planet was all the better for her death, and the Lifestream all the more poorer, for the time being, for having her added to its totality.

Nearby, Barrett sat with Tifa and Cloud. "I did it," he muttered. "Vengeance is mine. I killed that bitch, and killed her hard, like she deserved. For what she did to Corel. For what she did to Dyne and me. But I feel so goddamn empty. So damned empty…"

Yuffie, who was nearby, trying not to puke her guts out, said, quietly, "There's a saying in Wutai: _Anger is an acid that does more damage to the vessel that it's contained in than anything it is poured on_(2)."

Cloud looked over at Yuffie, an eyebrow raised. "That's pretty deep coming from you, Yuffie."

"My father told me that, whenever I was angry about Shinra steamrolling us, and Wutai becoming a tourist trap," the _kunoichi_ said. "I guess, looking at Barrett, that's what he meant."

"What about Harry?" Barrett asked, quietly, looking at the boy. "He…he saw that side of myself. A side I never want to show Marlene. He very nearly died. I…don't know what to do."

"He knows what you're really like, Barrett," Tifa said. "Just like I do, or Marlene does. Beneath this, you're a good man. Go to him."

Barrett, unsure, got unsteadily to his feet, and walked over to Harry. Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie watched as Barrett talked quietly to the boy. For a moment, they didn't know what he would do. Then, the boy hugged the massive black man. Because they both needed hugs…

**CHAPTER 30 ANNOTATIONS:**

**The end of Episode 6! And holy crap, does it end on a rather poignant note. So, Scarlet is dead, two of the Weapons are dead, and now they have to get ready to face off against Sephiroth. Yes, that's right, Episode 7 is the final episode of this interation of the story. Harry's story will continue, hopefully.**

**I was struggling to think of an idea to bring this episode up to five chapters, when I thought about Scarlet's last stand. I also had Barrett be the one to kill her, considering that she seemed to be in charge of razing Corel. I decided early on while thinking of this chapter that Harry would Apparate out of trouble like he did with Dudley in the books, only this time, it was consciously done. I decided to have Sirius attempt an ****_Accio_**** summoning spell to avoid complaints. The problem was, Scarlet was too insane and tenacious to let Sirius succeed.**

**And Harry's been traumatised, again. He goes through a lot, doesn't he?**

**1\. Scarlet is saying a modified version of a line from ****_The Princess Bride_****, where Vizzini screams at the Dread Pirate Roberts (aka Westley) while holding Buttercup hostage with a knife.**

**2\. On Earth, this is actually something Mark Twain said.**

**CHAPTER 30 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Scarlet, the Desperate****: ****_Shinra, Inc._**** (FTG).**


	39. Chapter 31: Jenova Versus Jenova

**EPISODE 7:**

**ONE-WINGED ANGEL**

_It is the end that crowns us, not the fight._

_-Robert Herrick_

**CHAPTER 31:**

**JENOVA VERSUS JENOVA**

It had been a busy few days since Scarlet, Hojo, and Heidegger met their respective ends, and the two Weapons were stopped. Rufus had taken command over Shinra quite quickly and easily, so virtually nobody had to follow Heidegger's example of the fate of the recalcitrant. And under his admittedly fine leadership, the Sister Ray was ready to be used.

Another thing that had to be accomplished was the evacuation of Midgar. If they were lucky, they would be able to unleash Holy before Meteor could even enter the atmosphere. But Holy would emerge directly below Meteor…and thus directly below Midgar. So it was decided to evacuate Midgar now, just in case Holy affected the citizens. It was a difficult feat to accomplish within three days, true, but a recovered Tseng and his contacts amongst the Turks helped with that(1).

Midgar and the slums had become a ghost city, save for Shinra's skeleton crew, AVALANCHE, Rufus and his most trusted employees, and more than a few scavengers and looters who decided to stay behind and taken advantage of the empty homes. And soon, the time came for the Sister Ray to be fired.

The only hiccup came when one of the Weapons decided to make an appearance. Harry, Aerith, and Jenova could hear Sapphire Weapon roaring about vengeance for her fallen brothers. Unfortunately, Sapphire Weapon was also in the path of the Sister Ray. Unfortunate for Sapphire Weapon, anyway.

Harry had watched from the _Highwind_ as, in the night, the lights of Midgar dimmed, and winked out. The Mako Reactors spouted spectacular fountains of green energy as they went into overdrive, drawing upon the Planet's lifeforce, but this time, for an end that meant that they could stop the Planet's greatest threat for once and for all. Even with Sapphire Weapon ranting in his mind, he found it an awe-inspiring sight.

Sapphire Weapon had been on the verge of unleashing an energy blast from her mouth when the Sister Ray fired. The beam annihilated the beast's head, cutting her off mid-rant(2). The blast of concentrated Mako energy travelled across the world, gravity exerting just enough influence to keep it following the curvature of the Planet's surface(3). And then, it had smacked into the barrier around the Crater, destroying it.

It had already been decided, over the past few days while the Sister Ray was prepared, who would go into the Crater. The nine members of AVALANCHE was obvious, along with Harry (who had insisted on going), and Sirius (who had insisted on going to protect Harry). Rufus, however, surprised everyone by insisting on coming along, with the Turks (or rather, Reno, Rude, and Elena) in tow. Reeve and Tseng were taking control of Shinra, or what was left, while Rufus was absent. And, of course, Jenova was coming. She did, after all, wish to settle things with her wayward son. Sixteen to save the world. Because if they couldn't, then who could?

Harry had spent the past few days in something of a funk. He didn't blame Barrett for his brutality in killing Scarlet: Scarlet deserved worse, and Barrett had perhaps the most reason out of anyone present to want Scarlet dead. She had destroyed his hometown, and murdered many of his friends and family, not to mention having demanded the death of Barrett's adopted daughter. Even Rufus, by comparison, had only had his company taken from him by the haughty bitch.

But it was still horrifying to see someone die like that. Harry had seen a lot of death for someone his age. The deaths of the Jenova creatures and Sephiroth's clones, the troopers Jenova killed, Scarlet…and that was without what he had seen in the memories of the others while in the Lifestream. And yet, the brutal death of one particularly horrible woman had affected him more than any other.

He still talked to the others, and he still laughed at their jokes. But there was still that darkness inside, like something had extracted the joy from the world.

The thing that got him out of his funk was probably the best news he could have gotten. Elmyra, Aerith's mother, had approached him, and told him perhaps some of the best news he could have heard for a long time.

She was going to officially adopt him. And not only that, but Rufus and Reeve had helped fast-track the adoption!

Harry could scarcely believe it. There were so many unbelievable things. Firstly, he was going to get a new family. Oh sure, Aerith said she wanted to be his big sister, but this was another matter. And then, there was the fact that _Rufus Shinra had actually helped out_. He had to wonder why, but the cold, blonde-haired young man was tight-lipped.

* * *

The night before they left, Reno was going through the _Highwind_, making sure everything was in their place. Rufus had asked him to do so, and Cloud and Tifa had stayed on the _Highwind_ too, asking for some time to talk away from the others.

It was while he was checking the cargo bay that he heard some noises coming from the Chocobo Stable. The damn thing hadn't been used since the _Highwind_ had been hijacked from Junon, but even so, fresh bedding had been supplied, as part of the standing orders.

Reno nearly went to investigate, before he realised what those noises entailed. His eyes widened, and a smirk lit up his features. He wondered briefly whether he should intervene. But no, he decided. Maybe not.

A loud cry echoed out from the Chocobo Stable, hastily muffled. Then, some minutes later, Cloud and Tifa exited, hurriedly adjusting their clothing. They froze upon seeing Reno standing nearby, smirking.

Without a word, Reno gave them a thumbs up.

Blushing horribly, both Cloud and Tifa returned a very different gesture in Reno's direction. "Not a word to anyone," Tifa hissed. "Especially not to Harry. Or you'll be singing soprano."

"My lips are sealed, yeah?" Reno said, smirking(4).

* * *

The journey to the Crater in the _Highwind_ was uneventful. It was a long and arduous journey down through the Crater and the cave system deep within it, fighting monsters that had grown strong partly due to exposure to Mako, and partly due to exposure to Jenova cells, as this had been where Jenova had landed all those years ago.

Eventually, though, they came to a vast hole, underneath which was a gigantic chamber, like a cave lined with waterfalls and cascades of Mako Energy. And they knew that the way to Sephiroth was down there.

"All right, everyone. Let's mosey," Cloud said.

"…Really?" Rufus asked. "That's your battle cry?"

"What's wrong with it?" Cloud demanded.

"As much as I'd hate agreeing with Rufus," Cid said, "he's got a point. Can't you say something a bit more badass?"

"Like what?" Cloud asked.

"Well, can't you say 'Move out', maybe?"

"Or, 'Onward, minions'?" Jenova asked with a sardonic smile.

"Or 'BOHICA'(5)?" Reno drawled. "That one's a popular one in the Turks."

"Not in front of Harry!" Cid snapped.

"Says the man who swears in front of him all the time," Elena said.

As Cid gargled in impotent fury, the others couldn't help but laugh. Unfortunately, the mirth was cut off when they heard the roars of several monsters in the distance. "What the hell?" Barrett roared.

"Sephiroth," Jenova snarled. "The monsters here have a high concentration of my cells combined with his consciousness. He's using them to herd us down there, trap us. He seems to think we need the extra incentive to get down there." Then, with a vicious grin, her Rufus-like suit transformed into the elegant armour she wore when facing Ultima Weapon for the second time. "Let's show him that he was mistaken…"

* * *

They fought a series of running battles, leaping from ledge to ledge and rock to rock, these stepping stones suspended in the air by the properties of the Mako surrounding them. It would have been beautiful in a somewhat surreal fashion, had they the time to stop and look. But they didn't. Too many things trying to kill them.

Harry supported them with Magic and Summon Materia, though he had been asked to keep the big guns aside for later. He had been given Knights of the Round, along with another Summon Materia that the Huge Materia had extruded when brought together with the two Bahamaut Materia. Aerith had Bahamut, Yuffie had Neo-Bahamut, and now, Harry had Bahamut-ZERO. He also had Alexander and Shiva, which he could use more often, and Ramuh.

They eventually reached the bottom of the chamber, on a largish platform in the centre. "Is it me," Cloud asked, "or does this feel like an arena?"

"You're not wrong," Jenova said, as Aerith, Sirius, and Harry distributed Elixirs to the others. "Another me is coming in a moment."

"Another you?" Vincent asked. "Another Jenova creature, under Sephiroth's control, then?"

Jenova nodded. "The strongest he can make, using all the Jenova cells he can spare. He's trying to delay us."

When something rose up from below, everyone's eyes widened. "Holy shit!" Barrett roared.

"It may look like shit," Rufus said, deadpan, "but it isn't holy."

It was mostly spherical in shape, a great tumourous lump of flesh. Mounted on its front was a parody of the nude body of a woman, without limbs. The head was inhuman, just an angular mask. Where the legs would have been, two large tentacles snaked out, writhing ominously.

Jenova felt the scrutiny of the creature on her. And then, a warped voice entered her mind. _Traitorous sister of mine. You rebel against your true successor_.

Of course. It made sense that the grotesque parody in front of her would be able to speak to her. Speaking back, she said,_ No, I am dealing with a wayward child with ideas above his station. And no actual sense. You're not me. You're just what he thinks I should be: a grotesque monster, a parody of what I am._

_Ideas above his station? We heard you speaking to Hojo, that you were once the Goddess of another world. It matters not whether it is true or whether you lie. You are a failed Goddess, but my son shall be God._

**_Your _**_son? You're just the part of me that got on your knees towards him, slave. You're practically in bed with him, which is more than a little disgusting. Whereas I bow to nobody._

_Lies. You work with the humans, act as their servant. You are disgusting, unworthy to be a Goddess._

_Am I? Better to be servant than slave. I __**choose**__ to help. Just because I don't bow down to anyone doesn't mean I can't help. Is being a deity about power, destruction, and control, or is it about protection, nurturing, and reciprocation?_

_Power. That is all that is needed. Power, and more power. I am Jenova SYNTHESIS, the Herald of Sephiroth. And your future vanquisher_.

Jenova sighed, sadly. How much she had changed since she was part of Sephiroth, in so short a period of time. Even when she was still part of him, rebelling against his will, she had the same attitude. How swiftly she had changed. But was it due to the memories she had seen in the Lifestream? Her independence from Sephiroth's will, and her physical freedom? Or was it her relationship, such as it was, with Harry Potter, and the people he called friends and family?

It didn't matter, in the end. She _had_ changed. And her goal hadn't changed, just some of the reasons behind it.

She was going to commit filicide, the murder of her own son. Even if she had to commit a sort of bizarre self-homicide along the way.

_Is that so? I've killed a Weapon, slave. The boy there has killed another. And many of those people killed your predecessors, sent like Chocobos to the abbatoir by your 'loving' son. What makes you think you're going to be any different?_ Jenova said, before unleashing a Shadow Flare on her enslaved ersatz self.

As Jenova SYNTHESIS reeled back with a warbling screech, Jenova turned to the others. "Unless I'm in trouble, hold back. This is my fight more than yours." Her black wings unfurled from her back, albeit of a smaller size than before, and she turned back to her other self. With a shriek like a harpy, Jenova launched herself at her ersatz counterpart, sending it into the air, and she followed.

The two Jenova creatures engaged in a mid-air battle that was awe-inspiring to see. Jenova SYNTHESIS attacked with its tentacles, extending them in ways that even Jenova had trouble dodging. But dodge them she did, for the most part. Occasionally, one would hit her with what would have been bone-shattering force on a human. But Jenova, of course, was far from human. One blow sent her head twisting 180 degrees with a crack. On a human, such a blow would have been instantly fatal. Jenova merely snarled, and wrenched her neck back into place with a sickening crunch. Everyone present winced. Even Jenova SYNTHESIS, who didn't seem to be capable of facial expressions.

Jenova then launched a series of magical attacks on her esatz counterpart, sending it reeling back. "Do you see yourself for what you are, slave?" Jenova screamed as she pelted the creature with spell after spell after spell. "_You're_ the ideal mother of a monster who thinks himself a god! You're just a hollow parody of me! A joke! A bad joke…for which I know the PUNCHLINE!"

And with that, Jenova unleashed her Limit Break once more. "**FIST OF THE CALAMITY!**" And Jenova SYNTHESIS now had a gaping hole in its body, smoking and weeping foul ichor.

The creature looked at her. It was staying in the air, just barely. _You may have vanquished me, traitorous sister. But…you will join me in death, and thus rejoin our son. ULTIMA!_

Jenova didn't have enough time to so much as blink, before a green blast consumed her and her ersatz counterpart.

For the others, even as they shielded their eyes from the glare, they felt the platform they were on shake, shudder…and then fall apart. They screamed as they fell, deeper into the Planet…

**CHAPTER 31 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, the endgame has begun. Sapphire Weapon has suffered the same fate as she did in the game, Cloud and Tifa have taken their relationship to the next level, and Jenova has kicked Jenova SYNTHESIS' bulbous arse, only to cop an Ultima to the face right back. And next, Sephiroth!**

**In case you're wondering why I had Jenova face Jenova SYNTHESIS alone, well, it is a personal battle for her. In a way, she's vanquishing the complete monster she used to be, and embracing the role of her original form.**

**1\. If what I've read is correct, the Turks who played a role in ****_Before Crisis_**** do help evacuate Midgar as Meteor approaches. They're just doing it earlier here than in canon.**

**2\. Much like in canon. I thought getting killed via what was effectively a 'boom! Headshot' moment was a macabrely funny and anti-climactic way to go for a feared weapon.**

**3\. How else would the beam from the Sister Ray end up managing to hit a Crater that would have to be well below the horizon? Mako Energy must be affected by gravity.**

**4\. Believe it or not, this was actually intended for the game. One scene originally meant for the end of Disc 2, before going to face Sephiroth at the Crater, had Cloud, and then Tifa, furtively exiting the Chocobo Stable in the ****_Highwind_****, strongly suggesting that they had had sex. It was replaced by a less-suggestive scene. I decided to put a variant back in, with Reno being an unwitting voyeur. A good thing Harry wasn't present, huh?**

**5\. American military terminology, similar to SNAFU or FUBAR. BOHICA means 'Bend Over. Here It Comes Again'.**

**CHAPTER 31 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Into the Crater****: ****_Judgement Day_**** (FTG).**

**SYNTHESIS VS TRUE****: ****_J-E-N-O-V-A_**** (Black Mages version), from ****_Final Fantasy VII_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, performed by the Black Mages.**


	40. Chapter 32: The Birth of a God

**CHAPTER 32:**

**THE BIRTH OF A GOD**

Aerith recovered first, regaining consciousness slowly, to find herself on a blood-red rock. Everyone else were on similarly-coloured rocks, which seemed to orbit a large red rock, the rough shape of a heart, floating in a green-coloured void. From within the giant rock, a pure blue light glowed.

_We must be deep within the Planet_, Aerith realised. _Deep within the Lifestream. Is this the heart of the Planet?_ Her eyes widened when she saw the light. Holy! It must be Holy! Which meant…Sephiroth was nearby.

The others were getting up, sore and sorry. Aerith felt sore all over, but quickly cast a Cure spell over them all. Jenova, however, didn't seem to respond. In fact, she looked bad, crouched over, as naked as she was when she first formed her new corporeal body, shivering and quavering. "No…no…" she whimpered.

"Dammit, get it together, Jenova!" Barrett bellowed.

"Oh, she won't," came a cold, cultured voice. "She, more than any of you, understands the full implications of what you are up against."

Aerith looked to where the voice came from. Now, in front of Holy, was Sephiroth, calm and collected as always. "You overestimate yourself, Sephiroth," she said.

"Do I?" Suddenly, as if seized by gigantic hands, the others were yanked into the air, spreadeagled. "I believe that you yourselves are guilty of that sin, not I. And the wages of that sin…is death. Do not fear, or rage, or weep. You will become part of a greater whole."

The gathered warriors struggled and flailed in mid-air, fear filling them. Even Aerith. But even as they felt like they would be torn limb from limb…it stopped. They dropped to the rocky platforms in front of Sephiroth, who was staring at them in surprise. "What is this?!" he hissed.

A number of figures shimmered into being in front of them. Barrett's eyes widened. "Biggs! Wedge! Jessie! Myrna! Dyne! Eleanor!"

Cloud and Tifa stared. "Zack?" they asked simultaneously. Then, they echoed, "Mom? Dad?"

Aerith's eyes focused on two in particular. "Mother? Father?"

Rufus' eyes were glistening. For the first time in a very long time, the man who didn't cry…did so. "Mother?"

"Prongs?" Sirius whispered. "Lily? Brother?"

"Mum? Dad?" Harry asked.

"Genesis?! Angeal?!" Sephiroth demanded, his green, slitted eyes widened.

All those figures, flanking the armoured figure of Minerva, standing in front of Sephiroth, who was looking increasingly confused, and angry. "What the bloody hell is this?" he yelled, his usually calm, cultured tone losing to his absolute fury at losing control of the situation.

"Hush, little boy," Minerva said. "For that is all you are, aren't you? A little boy who didn't get the love he wanted, so he was consumed by the desire for power instead. And that desire ate all that was good about the boy, until what was left was a monster. It isn't Jenova cells that makes you monstrous. It's your decisions, their consequences and intent, and how you live with them, that make you man or monster. You presume to take my place, usurp me? You are a fool, Sephiroth, who does not even understand that his plan may fail, even if nobody can stop you." As Sephiroth spluttered in near-impotent anger, Minerva turned to her chosen fighters. "Remember, it is not just for the living you fight, but for those who have returned to the Planet, whether it be this one or another."

She gestured at the pulsating light behind Sephiroth. "This is the hope of the Planet. Holy. Sephiroth is blocking it. But he is but one man. One monster. He is alone, and he is not a god, despite what he thinks. Whereas you number sixteen. And not just that, but you have the hopes of the living, and the dead, behind you."

"You have our love," James and Lily Potter said.

"The pride of fighting for what is right!" Zack yelled.

"The strength to destroy evil," Angeal, a burly man dressed not unlike Zack and with a stern face, said, along with Regulus Black.

"The knowledge and wisdom to save the world," Professor Gast and Ifalna chorused.

"The courage to stand up for what you hold dear!" cheered the deceased members of AVALANCHE.

"The compassion for others," Rufus' mother said.

"The will to carry on, no matter what," said Dyne, Myrna, and Eleanor.

"This is what the dead give you, even after they return to the Planet," Genesis said, holding an apple in his hand. "People claim that the dead leave us forever, but in truth, they have given you things in life that stay with you, even after their death."

A series of slow claps came from behind them. Sephiroth was looking at them, sneering as he clapped. "Your platitudes are sickening. They sound like something out of an inane self-help book(1). Words will avail you nothing, nor will the power of impotent ghosts and a failed goddess. Despair, mortals, for you shall behold my rebirth…_the birth of a God!_"

Suddenly, Sephiroth began to ripple and distort, growing to massive size. His body became grey in colour, his arms extending into great flippers of flesh. A second, smaller body seemed to grow above Sephiroth's own head. His muscled torso seemed to grow from a glowing core, itself growing from more flesh that seemed to be attached to the heart-like rock behind them.

As Minerva and her entourage of spirits faded, they heard her voice say, "_I can prevent him from taking control over you all again. But the rest…is up to you. You hold the fate of the Planet in your hands. Good luck…_"

"**_The false goddess betrays you, abandons you to die, the first sacrifices on my altar_**," Sephiroth said, his voice deepened to ludicrous levels. "**_I will show you how defenceless you truly are. Descend, Heartless Angel_**(2)."

Suddenly, all of the fighters felt the strength leave their bodies. They felt like they had just been brought to the very brink of death, barely conscious, weakened.

"**_Do you see, fools?_**" Sephiroth asked. "**_Your goddess cannot save you now. This is merely the prelude to the terror to come. I will start by killing the boy._**"

With a flap of his bizarre, flipper-like appendages, Sephiroth sent a Flare spell at the boy. Harry was too weak even to dodge out of the way.

But he didn't need to. Jenova, apparently with the last of her strength, leapt in front of the boy, and disintegrated, screaming.

In the aftermath, Sephiroth frowned, on both his faces. "**_Troublesome. You are dying in the wrong order. No matter, you will join her soon._**"

"Is that right?" came a very familiar voice. Suddenly, the others felt themselves revived by a highly potent Cure spell. And then, floating gently down from the sky was a very familiar form.

"Jenova?!" chorused a number of voices.

She nodded. Unlike the Jenova who had died, who was naked and shaking, she was back in her armour, with her wings spread, and her posture confident. "You were expecting someone else? Oh dear, Sephiroth, you really are a naughty boy. You just committed matricide."

"**_…You're not dead. How could I have committed matricide if you aren't dead?_**"

"Simple. Your parody of me managed to get off an Ultima spell before it died. Except that it didn't die. Neither did I, though it was pretty damaging. Normally, I would have absorbed the cells, become stronger, but I decided to have some insurance: I turned part of Jenova SYNTHESIS into a copy of myself, and controlled it from a distance, just in case you tried something. That's why it was whimpering. Did you think it was just Minerva preventing you from toying with them? You have two Goddesses facing against you, Sephiroth. I carry the hopes of the world that birthed me, whereas you…oh, why am I bothering? You never listen. You never did, and you never will. And thanks to what I absorbed from your parody of me, I can do _this_."

Suddenly, green light erupted in front of Sephiroth, an Ultima explosion consuming the bizarre would-be god temporarily. He glared at Jenova, even as black blood trickled from a dozen wounds on his grotesque body. "**_It will take more than that to stop me_**," he said.

"Count on it," Cloud said, hefting his Buster Sword into position.

The battle that followed was an arduous one, a battle to the death for the fate of the world. They soon determined that the glowing core, virtually invulnerable due to the magics in the surrounding flesh, healed the main body of Sephiroth. But the surrounding flesh was vulnerable, and once that was dealt with, the core soon fell. Even so, Sephiroth kept up a barrage of spells of extraordinary power. On occasion, he even managed to use Heartless Angel again. But they were prepared for it this time. Harry was told to unleash Bahamat-ZERO, which fired a massive blast of energy at Sephiroth, leaving the massive monster the former SOLDIER had become smoking. Knights of the Round was to be held back unless they messed up, just in case Sephiroth could transform once more. Everyone was using Limit Breaks, which seemed to be doing the job much of the time.

Eventually, it was Cloud who landed the decisive blow with an Omnislash. The final blow cleaved Sephiroth's torso in half, and black blood sprayed everywhere. The monster Sephiroth had become seemed to slump, and sink, apparently falling, the light of Holy beginning to seep through past his body…

Until suddenly, Sephiroth's monstrous form burst, and something new rose from within. Though less monstrous than Sephiroth's previous form, it was no less bizarre. From the waist up, it was Sephiroth, his silver hair blowing in a non-existent breeze, or lashing gently like the tail of a predator. A pair of golden halos was behind his head. However, his arm had been replaced by a single, sword-like wing. Below the waist, though, was what looked like a cloud, underneath which six angelic wings gently stroked through the air, keeping Sephiroth aloft.

The light of Holy behind Sephiroth, and leaking past him, overwhelmed everything else. In a perverse way, they realised, the bizarre way Holy interacted with Sephiroth's aura as he struggled to hold it back made the background now look like some heavenly tunnel of clouds and light, and Sephiroth as a very strange angel, with only one wing on his body proper, and six functioning as legs(3).

"_You cannot win_," he said, his voice less deep, but still having an echoing reverb to it.

"We can," Harry retorted.

"We must," Aerith said.

"We _will_," Cloud added.

Sephiroth merely said, coldly, "_Fools_," before sending a Shadow Flare their way. The three weathered the blast, before Aerith used a Cure spell.

The others began to fight, Sephiroth snarling as attacks both physical and magical pelted him. He gave as good as he got, firing powerful spells. Harry blinked when Sephiroth used one called 'Pale Horse', and turned Yuffie, Reno, and Nanaki into frogs. Aerith had to hurriedly use Esuna on them before Sephiroth managed to hit them with a follow-up attack.

Then, eventually, Sephiroth snarled, "_I tire of this. __**Super Nova!**_"

A massive explosion appeared from behind Sephiroth, seemingly consuming him in fires of celestial rage. But the true targets of the explosion were those fighting him, and they were flung back, bleeding and broken, by the force of the blast(4). Sephiroth soared serenely above them all, sneering down at them. They weren't dead yet, but if Aerith didn't use healing spells in time, they soon would be.

"_Fools. This is the end. The final end for all of you._"

Final end…the words triggered something in Harry's mind. With a final effort, he said, "No…" He channelled his power into the Materia, hoping that this would work, that this would stop Sephiroth for once and for all. "It's the Final End…for you!"

Sephiroth's eyes widened as the Summon Materia flared with crimson light, and the Knights of the Round began attacking him. "_NO! STOP! I COMMAND YOU! I AM THE GOD OF THIS WORLD!_"

"_You're no god_," Arthur sneered as he appeared. "_You're merely our latest foe! Fall into oblivion, apostate soul!_" And with that, he smote Sephiroth.

With a wordless howl of defiance and rage and disbelief, Sephiroth began to dissolve into nothing, his body frozen in the one pose even as he broke up and disintegrated, Holy's power finally unleashed on the evil former SOLDIER. The would-be god vanished like dust in the wind, and to the last, he glared hatefully with his green, slit-pupilled eyes at those who vanquished him, four in particular being deserving of his wrath. Cloud. Jenova. Aerith. And Harry.

Then, he disappeared, and as Holy began to pulse, Minerva appeared once more. "Thank you," she said, waving a hand. The fighters were healed. "He has not been destroyed completely. But his spirit is impotent, and now, Holy is no longer blocked. The Black Materia is now in my hands, and there it will remain forevermore. Now, go."

And with that, the fighters were transported back to the entrance of the Crater...

* * *

"What do we do now?" Rufus asked, looking deeper into the cave.

"We've done all we could," Cloud said. "Now it's up to the Planet. We've done our best. Now we can go home, and hope that Holy is enough to stop Meteor."

"Without wiping us out in the process, you mean," Rufus said with a sneer, though it was half-hearted.

"It won't!" Harry protested. "It…" His eyes suddenly widened as he heard a sound, a deafening, malevolent sound that filled his ears and his mind and his soul.

"Harry!" Aerith yelled, running over to him. "What's wrong?"

His green eyes met her own, filled with terror. "He's still here…he's laughing!"

Suddenly, Harry convulsed, and went limp. Only Aerith and Jenova saw and heard a transparent doppelganger of Harry get yanked, screaming, into the abyss they had just left…

* * *

It felt like he was falling forever. He screamed as he fell through tunnels of sound and light, filled with memory, with laughter, tears, music and screams. He knew that he was being pulled deeper and deeper into the depths of the Lifestream. And then, he saw his destination. A plain of darkness, occupied only by one other person, if you could call that a person.

Bare of any clothing bar trousers and boots, smiling a deadly smile, his green slitted eyes meeting Harry's own, Sephiroth watched as Harry landed roughly in front of him. "Welcome, Harry Potter. Welcome, to your demise…"

**CHAPTER 32 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Wow. I'm amazed I managed to finish this chapter so quickly. It's not quite the end yet, though, obviously. It was a bit difficult writing the Bizarro and Safer Sephiroth battles. I hope nobody thinks that the appearance of all those dead characters is too cheesy. But the whole point of ****_Final Fantasy VII _****is about the affirmation of life, and how even after people die, they continue to be with us in some way.**

**If you're wondering how the Potters, as well as Regulus, could appear on the Planet, keep in mind that Minerva managed to pull Harry and Sirius through. Given how she knows about their pasts, its not unreasonable to assume that she brought the spirits of Harry's parents and Regulus Black (Sirius will be told later of Regulus' heroism) to the Planet to lend support.**

**If you're wondering why Harry was brought into the Lifestream by Sephiroth, and not Cloud, there's a couple of reasons. One, Harry was the one to inflict the ****_coup de grace _****on Safer Sephiroth. Two, he is the youngest, and killing Harry, in Sephiroth's opinion, would demoralise and weaken the others. Three, he thwarted Sephiroth's attempt to kill Aerith at the beginning of this story. Remember? And finally, Harry acted as a vessel for the fugitive rebellious part of Jenova's consciousness. And that's without adding that Sephiroth, for all his detachment and grace, is also incredibly petty.**

**BTW, did you like that fake-out with Jenova? I thought of that as I was writing the battle between the two Jenovas. Of course, Jenova SYNTHESIS was frightened partly because the real Jenova was controlling its mind (pretty nasty stuff), and partly because it knew it was going to die. But the real Jenova, for all her newly rediscovered morality, is very much a pragmatist, and also more than willing to ignore her qualms.**

**The title of the chapter, of course, is a reference to the first final battle theme, ****_Birth of a God_****, which plays as you fight Bizarro Sephiroth.**

**1\. Given the potential cheesiness of the scene, I couldn't resist Sephiroth making a snide remark. And what better way to do it, than to have him echo his immediate predecessor as a final boss, Kefka, from ****_Final Fantasy VI_****?**

**2\. I love George Newbern's delivery of this line when you fight him in ****_Kingdom Hearts II_****. Makes you think, "Oh crap!', especially if you know what it does. And I didn't want the party to have it all their way. I'm crap at writing battle scenes, unless they're incredibly one-sided. You know how badly-written sex scenes are sometimes called 'Ikea Erotica'? Well, I'd be guilty of 'Ikea Combat'. :P**

**3\. Having the strange background as Holy interacting with Sephiroth trying to hold it back was my attempt to explain said background. Yeah, I'm trying too hard…**

**4\. The American animation for Super Nova is ridiculous. I have no trouble believing Sephiroth is channelling the power of an exploding star, but not one that destroys the very solar system they're fighting in. So I wrote it this way instead.**

**CHAPTER 32 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Sephiroth's Power****: ****_Those Chosen By The Planet_**** (FTG).**

**The Lifestream Warriors****: ****_Prologue_**** (aka ****_Theme of Final Fantasy_****), from ****_Final Fantasy XII_****, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, arranged by Hitoshi Sakimoto. Why didn't ****_Final Fantasy VII_**** have this? It had the ****_Prelude_****, but not the awe-inspiring and spine-tingling ****_Prologue_****? I thought this scene deserved it more than any other, and what better version than the one in ****_Final Fantasy XII_****?**

**Bizarro Sephiroth****: ****_Birth of a God_**** (FTG).**

**Safer Sephiroth****: ****_One-Winged Angel_**** (Reunion version), from ****_Final Fantasy VII: Reunion Tracks_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I'd rather keep back the extremely awe-inspiring version from ****_Advent Children_**** for the events of that movie, or my version anyway.**


	41. Chapter 33: Judgement Day

**CHAPTER 33:**

**JUDGEMENT DAY**

Green eyes met green eyes. One pair, cold, calculating and with reptilian slits for pupils. The other pair, warm and filled with light, like jewels. One pair, belonging to a madman who believed himself a god. The other pair, belonging to the Boy Who Lived.

"Why me?" Harry asked, getting unsteadily to his feet.

"A good question," Sephiroth said, readying his long sword, the Masamune. "I'd have scarcely believed it, but you have proven to be a more persistent thorn in my side than my so-called mother, the Ancient, or Cloud. Too many times, I have been thwarted by a child. I will kill you. Then, as they weep over your body, I will take the Ancient next. Then, my traitorous mother. Then Cloud. Then his girlfriend. I could list them exhaustively, but it won't matter for you, because you will _DIE NOW!_" With that, Sephiroth lunged forward at lightning speed, skewering Harry on the Masamune.

Harry choked up a torrent of blood, his eyes wide in surprise. The pain was unbearable, indescribable. Sephiroth then raised the impaled boy into the air on the blade. Blood dripped down the silver surface of the Masamune.

"What's the matter?" Sephiroth taunted. "Can't you beat me without Materia? Because that is all you are: a weak child, and nothing more. The others can't save you here, now."

Suddenly, Harry's eyes glowed with the power of a Limit break, and he met Sephiroth's stare. "_They don't have to_," he said, in a low, dangerous tone.

Sephiroth sneered, not remotely afraid or apprehensive, believing Harry's declaration to be hyperbole, but suddenly he was knocked off his feet by a magnificent stag, glowing gold. As Sephiroth struggled to his feet, a giant dog, darkness rising off him, leapt for his throat and savaged it. The SOLDIER kicked the dog away, the creature yelping, and struggled to his feet, only to find himself confronted with a silvery wolf-like creature, standing on its hind legs. It bit and clawed at the former SOLDIER savagely, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Prongs, Padfoot, and Moony," Harry said, getting up from where he was on the ground, sliding the Masamune from his body with a grunt of pain. "You see that, Sephiroth? They don't have to be there, not to give me strength. I am the son of the Marauders, and you are going to face my wrath!"

Then, he picked up the sword, and glared at Sephiroth. In more physical planes of existence, Harry could never have wielded the Masamune. Only Sephiroth could. But in the Lifestream, his true strength, that of his magic and soul, would have allowed him to pick up the very Planet. The Masamune, by comparison, was a doddle.

With a scream of rage, Harry charged forward, and swung the long, slender sword at the dumbfounded Sephiroth, severing his head from his shoulders. The head bounced and rolled until it came to rest, bumping against Harry's feet.

He felt nothing this time, at Sephiroth's final demise, or at least he hoped it was. Even though he had vanquished Sephiroth himself, Harry felt nothing more than relief, as the anger drained from his body.

As the head stared at Harry in sheer disbelief and lack of comprehension, Harry said, "Go back into the darkness where you belong. You'll be nothing but a bad memory for me."

Sephiroth glared levelly at Harry, even as light began to consume his body and head. Quietly, but with deadly promise, he said what Harry hoped would be Sephiroth's last words. "I…will never…remain…a memory…" Then, he was gone in an actinic flare of light.

* * *

The next thing Harry knew, Aerith was shaking him awake. "Harry! HARRY! Oh, thank goodness, you're alright!" She clutched him to her, and began to weep. "I thought I had lost you."

"I'm okay," Harry said quietly, woozily. "I'm okay…"

"What about Sephiroth?" Cloud asked.

"Gone. Hopefully, for good," Harry said, as he was helped to his feet by Aerith. He then looked over to Sirius. "The Marauders came to help me. You, Moony, and Prongs."

"No Wormtail?"

"Nope."

The earth began to shake beneath their feet, and Rufus said, "As much as I'd hate to break up the heartwarming reunion, we'd better get back to the _Highwind_, now!"

The others all agreed, with Aerith scooping the semi-conscious Harry in her arms, urgency lending her strength. And everyone ran the remaining distance towards the _Highwind_, the now-unleashed Holy on their heels…

* * *

That they made it on time was astonishing. They clambered on board the _Highwind_ just in time for the airship to begin lifting off from the Crater.

Unfortunately, they weren't quite fast enough.

Blue light erupted from below with a roar of power, catching the _Highwind_, and bearing it aloft on a cyan pillar of energy. The _Highwind_, parts of its infrastructure damaged and falling away, finally slid off the pillar of light, and began to plummet to the ground.

"SHIIIIIIT!" Cid screamed as everyone was tossed around like toys by a petulant giant. He managed to hold on just long enough to pull, with all of his might, on a lever marked 'EMERGENCY'.

To anyone watching the _Highwind_ from outside, they would have seen an amazing sight, to watch gigantic wings sprout from the sides, and a rocket belch smoke and flame from the rear of the stricken airship. With a roar that tried to challenge the noise of Holy fountaining into the air, the _Highwind_ soared in the direction of Midgar…

"Nice to see that you had a trick or two up your sleeve, Cid," Rufus remarked as he got up off the floor.

"Yeah, well, it was an emergency measure in case the _Highwind_'s special Materia failed, which it did," Cid said with an annoyed grunt. "Holy must've overwhelmed the Materia in here, overloaded it."

Yuffie, with a comically alarmed look, quickly checked her own Materia, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, looks like our Materia is A-OK…"

"Of course you'd be worried about that, Yuffie," Vincent remarked with a sardonic lilt. And there was laughter, even from Yuffie…until her stomach heaved, and she emptied it all over Rufus Shinra's very expensive shoes…

* * *

Once more, Marlene was staying at that house in Kalm with the nice lady Elmyra. Now they had that funny bearded guy with the sad eyes, Reeve, for company, and his cat toy, Cait Sith. One had been sent to the Crater with Cloud and the others to help out. That Turk, Tseng, had also been here, but he had gone to make sure that the people of Midgar were fine where they had evacuated to.

She liked how some of the Shinra guys actually turned out to be good guys after all. It was strange, but life was strange, Marlene knew, even at three years of age. After all, she had met a talking lion, a boy from another world, and a blue-skinned lady who used to be a monster. Oh, and a man who could turn into a dog. And they all went off with Daddy to save the world.

And apparently, they just did. Cait Sith, who was linked to his fellow toy, had just told them that they had beaten Sephiroth. Reeve, Marlene, and Elmyra all let out a small cheer at this. Cait Sith then returned to telling jokes, and doing little dances around the room to entertain Marlene. He was a funny little cat.

As she giggled at Cait Sith's latest escapade, she stopped, her eyes widening. She got up and went to the window. "Marlene, what's wrong?" Elmyra asked.

"It's Cloud and the others," Cait Sith said. "They've unleashed Holy."

"I can feel it," Marlene said, her eyes wide as she looked out the window. "It feels like the Flower Lady…and Harry."

Reeve and Elmyra watched, with Caith Sith perched on Reeve's shoulders, as something glimmered in the night sky. Meteor had begun to bathe the night in a red glow now as it approached the Planet even more. But it was still some way to go yet.

But something else came out of the night, a sheet of pale blue energy that screamed from the darkness, and halted, a disc of scintillating, pure power that nearly blinded onlookers with its glare.

"Is that…Holy?" Reeve breathed, his eyes wide. "The Judgement of the Planet?"

"It's beautiful," Elmyra whispered softly. "Is that what my daughter…my _children_ prayed for?"

Reeve nodded solemnly, his expression lugubrious. "It must be. Let us hope that the Planet's Judgement doesn't find us wanting. Goodness knows we have done enough to attract its ire…"

* * *

On the _Highwind_, Rufus Shinra stared at the disc of energy that Holy had become, hovering above Midgar. He couldn't help but be moved by the sight. It was, after all, beautiful. But after a moment, he said, "What's happening? Why isn't it doing anything?"

"I don't know," Aerith said.

Jenova gasped, however, as she looked to the sky. "Meteor! It's accelerating!"

Nobody could tell for sure. It was hard to see whether it was. But nobody disputed Jenova's observation. Why else would she utter such a thing?

"How is that possible?!" Sirius demanded.

"…Keep in mind that I am speculating as to why. But this is what I think: just as Holy is, to a degree, alive and aware so that it may impart the Judgement of the Planet, so too perhaps is Meteor," Jenova explained. "Maybe it knows we are trying to thwart it, and it intends to finish its purpose before being destroyed!"

"But Minerva has the Black Materia now!" Cloud snapped. "Can't she stop it?"

"Nobody can," Aerith said sadly. "Once either the Ultimate Black Materia, or the Ultimate White Materia are used, then it can't be revoked. One or the other must complete their purpose, or be overwhelmed and destroyed(1). We can only hope that it is Holy that wins…"

"…and that we aren't destroyed along with Meteor," Vincent said quietly.

* * *

To those watching, they beheld an astounding sight: Holy seemed to bulge in the middle, scintillating light dancing around it, before it finally lanced into the heavens, towards Meteor. The spear of pale blue light sped through the atmosphere, and into space, before it finally hit Meteor, blue energy spraying everywhere, mingling with the crimson fire that encircled Meteor in a sinister aura.

But the vast lump of rock in the sky seemed to press downwards, trying to weather the power of Holy. Trying to overwhelm it.

Thousands watched the spectacle in the skies, willing for Holy to win, to destroy Meteor. Some did so, even knowing that Holy's triumph might mean their own end.

* * *

In his observatory, Bugenhagen, who was aware that even if Holy won, he was dying soon anyway, willed it on, hoping to speak to his adopted grandson one last time(2)…

* * *

In Junon, a girl called Priscilla saw the pillar of light lancing from behind the mountains, and hoped she and Mr Dolphin would be safe…

* * *

In Wutai, Lord Godo prayed to Leviathan that his daughter would return safe and sound…preferably with Materia, but he still wanted Yuffie home alive and well…

* * *

In Corel, a cheer went up amongst the coal miners as they watched the blue light hit Meteor.

* * *

In the Golden Saucer, Dio watched through a television screen, and knew that no matter what spectacles he could come up with, it wouldn't match this awe-inspiring sight. Wouldn't stop him from trying, though…

* * *

On the Chocobo Ranch, the family living there struggled to keep the Chocobos from panicking, even as they watched with awe what was happening.

* * *

In Mideel, they gathered around the last functioning television, and watched the spectacle happening practically on the other side of the world…

* * *

In Kalm, people held their breaths, and watched as the pillar of light struggled to hold back Meteor…

* * *

And on the _Highwind_, they watched, and waited.

* * *

It came so suddenly, it was like a switch had been flipped. Light seared at everyone's retinas as night became day. Nobody saw the moment when Holy finally broke through Meteor's vile energies, and ate away at the rocky mass. The giant ball of stone all but screamed as the azure energy of Holy began to disintegrate it. Then, with a final blinding flash, Meteor disintegrated.

For a moment, Holy seemed to linger, hovering almost threateningly above Midgar, the disc of blue energy rippling and warping, as if trying to come to a decision. And before long, the decision was made.

Another azure flare lit up the night sky, blinding everyone again, as well as deafening them with a _crack!_, not unlike a massive clap of thunder. But as the light faded, in its place flooded relief, the realisation that humanity had been judged, and given another chance, one that they should not squander…

**CHAPTER 33 ANNOTATIONS:**

**And the battles, for the time being, are over. Sephiroth and Meteor have been destroyed. Humanity has been given a second chance. The next couple of chapters will be both wrapping things up, and putting things into place for the sequels.**

**If you're wondering why I didn't have that whole 'Lifestream cavalry' thing that happens in the game, it's because Holy was unleashed long before Meteor got too close to the Planet. Minerva and the Lifestream Warriors (as I have dubbed the people who appeared in the previous chapter to cheer the fighters on) had this plan in place, just in case. I was inspired to have those people appear from dim and distant memories of reading an unofficial translation of ****_The Maiden Who Travels the Planet_****, a story written by Benny Matsuyama, which had Aerith's post-mortem travels through the Lifestream, and her mustering the last remnants of friends and allies to bring the Lifestream forth. A lot of those friends and allies made an appearance in the last chapter, but I forgot to mention the inspiration from ****_The Maiden Who Travels the Planet_****.**

**The lack of Lifestream gushing forth now means that Geostigma won't be as widespread as it is in the events of Advent Children (it was caused partly by Jenova cells contaminating the Lifestream, and spreading during the 'Lifestream cavalry' event, if I recall correctly). It'll still be around, and the remnants of Sephiroth will still appear. But it will be less of a problem, especially now that Jenova is firmly on the heroes' side.**

**1\. I thought, could these magics be stopped once called? I decided, for the sake of the story, that they couldn't be.**

**2\. Bugenhagen apparently dies after Nanaki/Red XIII gets his ultimate weapon after one last talk. I decided to put this scene in to show that, while he is dying, he still has enough time to speak with Nanaki, once he returns.**

**CHAPTER 33 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Sephiroth VS Harry, or, Pick on Someone Your Own Size****: ****_Those Chosen by the Planet_**** (FTG). As it is in the game.**

**Holy, Unleashed****: ****_The Planet's Crisis_**** (FTG). Edited and with some new bits, I think this still suits the ending, despite the different events in the ending.**


	42. Chapter 34: Rebuilding

**CHAPTER 34:**

**REBUILDING**

Rufus Shinra looked out over the moonlit ocean from the Junon Headquarters of Shinra. For now, it had become the new headquarters, given that Midgar had become unsafe. Holy may have spared humanity, but already the city was beginning to crumble, touched by the awesome power of the Ultimate White Magic. A warning, he supposed, given what it so easily could have done. A few handpicked men had gone in, however, to check for whatever could be salvaged amongst the rubble, as well as to retrieve valuables for the citizens of Midgar (and Rufus had made it very clear, especially to Reno, that they weren't allowed to pilfer anything). Vincent Valentine, as well as many of the Turks, undertook this dangerous work. So too did Cloud and Tifa, and the two Cait Sith robots, who could crawl into otherwise cramped and unsafe areas. Their work was just finishing up now, after months of searching.

Permanent resettlement was proving to be a nightmare, of course. Kalm could handle but a small portion of Midgar's population, and the same went for Junon. He had to send people further afield, to Wutai (where Yuffie's contacts came in handy, though Rufus swore that the government of Wutai was taking great pleasure in gouging him), to Nibelheim, to Rocket Town (courtesy of Cid and Shera), to Gongaga, to Cosmo Canyon (where Nanaki was taking charge after his adopted grandfather died), to Costa del Sol, and to Icicle Inn. Not to mention a dozen or more small villages that virtually never showed up on the map.

For once, Rufus allowed himself to be humbled by the generosity of people. Despite what Shinra had done, what it had been responsible for, people all around the world came to help. In the months since Holy destroyed Meteor, Rufus found himself surprised, time and time again.

For a brief moment, the light flickered in the boardroom he was standing in. And then, the lights brightened. Rufus smiled a rare smile. It seemed that the Junon Reactor had successfully switched from Mako to nuclear fusion. They'd had the technology for some time now, but Mako Energy seemed like the cheap and easy way forward. It wasn't as safe or clean as, say, solar power or hydroelectric, but it was best to use it, for now, instead of going back to coal or oil. With the ocean, there was even a ready supply of hydrogen in the form of the water molecules. It produced more than enough power for Junon.

The door behind him opened, and a familiar voice purred, "So, things are going well."

Rufus turned to face Jenova, who was dressed, once more, in a version of his suit, albeit along somewhat more feminine lines. She had proved her usefulness over the past little while, as her ability to absorb memories meant that she had managed to absorb many of the more useful memories of Hojo, and even a few of Scarlet's, thanks to the Jenova cells Scarlet had been seeded with shortly before she died. This meant that she was privy to many useful things, things even Rufus didn't know about.

When out in public, Jenova no longer wore blue skin, becoming pale, and her hair a silvery blonde, to distinguish her from Sephiroth. In private, amongst those who knew her, she reverted to this appearance. And Rufus, now, was beginning to know her in a somewhat closer way. The two had bonded by now, and an unconventional romance, of sorts, had begun.

"Yes," Rufus said. "Very well." He went over to the table in the middle of the boardroom, where a pair of glasses and a bottle of wine awaited. "Better than I hoped, anyway," he added as he poured the glasses. "Shinra will have to change its emphasis in future. It did used to be an electricity provider before. It will still remain so. It's what other power we should wield that I am reconsidering. I'm considering leaving one Mako Reactor, the one at Nibelheim, remain active. The world will still need Materia, and research into Materia. If the people of Corel are willing, then I will leave the reactor there on too, for the same purpose. Both turned down to a low setting, of course. With any luck, the Planet will heal. Perhaps that is Shinra's new destiny: to make sure that there is a Planet for future generations. Without sacrificing the comforts we are used to, anyway."

Jenova chuckled, taking a glass of wine. "You haven't changed that much, have you? Just how you do things, not what you do."

"Maybe. Personally, I could do without the wrath of Minerva," Rufus said with a sardonic smile. "Dealing with you is enough of a trial."

"Oh, behave!" Jenova said, shoving him gently. Thankfully, he hadn't picked up his glass yet, or he may have gotten it all over himself.

He picked up his glass, and walked over to the window, Jenova joining him. Eventually, Rufus said, "How is Harry with his new family?"

Jenova smiled. "Doing quite well, as you know. I know Reeve has been seeing Elmyra, and you've been asking him about it too. In fact, it's Harry's birthday soon, apparently. Our date and that back on his world are the same, funnily enough. But there's one thing that I'm curious about. So's Harry. Why did you help fast-track Elmyra's adoption?"

Rufus stared out across the moonlit sea, before saying, "Like him, I never had a proper family. My father was a domineering bully. And my mother…she died brutally. I grew up by myself, isolated from love. It's only now that I realised what I have missed. I saw his memories, just as he saw mine. The Cetra descendants of his world declared him a hero, and yet, with his relatives, he was treated as a servant, and worse. After we stopped Scarlet, it occurred to me that no child, if it can be helped, should live like that, unloved and isolated from love. I cannot save all such children, but Harry, I could. So I did. One such deed won't absolve me of my sins. But it's a good start."

"Yes," Jenova said, looking to Rufus, their eyes meeting, with the promise of more things to come later. "It is, isn't it?"

* * *

Sirius Black strode through the City of the Ancients. He couldn't sleep lately, it was hard to think, his mind all awhirl with a single preoccupation. It had been something that he had thought about since the Crater, and the fight against Sephiroth. Only now had it disturbed him this badly. Aerith, listening to his problems, asked Cid to bring Sirius to this ancient place, so that he might find answers with Minerva, assuming she would speak to Sirius.

The problem that vexed Sirius could be summed up in a single name: Regulus. Why had he been there, amongst the ghosts of the dead? It was surprising enough to see James and Lily there, but even so, it was good to see friends, people closer than the family he had been cast out of. But Regulus? How come a man, a Death Eater, had been brought by Minerva to be a cheerleader? And why had he said, along with that Angeal guy, that thing about having the strength to destroy evil? He had joined Voldemort, for Merlin's sake!

As he approached the strange, shell-like building in the centre of the City, the one where Aerith discovered Harry, he felt a calming presence come to mind. He needed it, he realised. A shuddering breath escaped him as part of him relaxed.

"Minerva?" he asked. "Are you there?"

"I am always here, Sirius Black," the armoured deity said as she appeared in a shimmer of light. And accompanying her was a very familiar figure. "Always, for one of the Cetra. And I know why you have come. Perhaps I should have explained while I was able to, but we were all pressed for time. I can bring the spirits of the dead back from out of the Lifestream, as long as they haven't been dead long. They cannot be truly revived, merely brought back to awareness. When I first brought you to this world, I saw your whole life. Think of this as being like the Resurrection Stone from _The Three Brothers_. I can bring back the dead, but as shades. I can even have you speak to the Potters if you would like. Aerith brought Harry here, and they conversed with both sets of parents. But I thought you wanted to speak to your brother."

Sirius nodded, and Minerva gestured for Regulus Black to step forward. Regulus seemed nervous, as if not knowing where to begin. Eventually, he plumped for a rather stiff, formal, "Hello, brother."

"Regulus. You're looking rather peaky."

"Peaky," Regulus repeated, before a bitter chuckle wormed out of his mouth. "I'm dead. Looking 'peaky' is the least of my troubles."

Once more, an awkward silence settled over the two brothers. Once more, it was Regulus who broke it. "Sirius…you were right. Right about Voldemort, I mean. It took me until it was too late to realise it, though."

"Really? That's it? After following the family line for so long? You think I'm going to forgive you that easily?"

"I don't care about forgiveness!" Regulus snapped. "What I do care is that some day, you finished what I started. The downfall of Voldemort." He giggled. "Wow. I'm dead, and I don't fear the name any more."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about? The downfall of Voldemort?" Sirius demanded.

"Settle down, brother, and I will tell you. Have you heard of horcruxes?"

Sirius' eyes widened. "Yes, yes I have. I know of one that has been dealt with already."

"Then this will be easier than I thought. I'll tell you of the reason why I died, and the true bravery of one you have dismissed. Not me, though. You won't believe this, but Kreacher is a better person than you, or any of our family, would have credited…"

* * *

In a house in Kalm, Harry Potter…no, Harry _Gainsborough_ now, was getting ready for bed. He actually had a bedroom now, not a cupboard under the stairs, though this house did have one. He had a mother now, and a big sister too, even if they weren't related by were people who loved him very much. Elmyra and Aerith were good people.

He also had, in a way, a hyperactive little sister in the form of Marlene Wallace. With her father abroad so often now, helping search out new energy resources to replace Mako Reactors, she was with them virtually all the time.

Over time, the scar that had once marred his forehead was fading. Oh, it was still there, and would probably be there for the rest of his life, a reminder that his survival that fateful Halloween night was due to luck, and his birth mother's love. But now, it was just a zig-zag of pale flesh, not the inflamed, angry-looking thing it had when Voldemort's horcrux had been present.

Aerith had taken him on regular trips to the City of the Ancients. There, Minerva let him speak to his parents, whom the deity had brought over from wherever they had rested on Earth. He learned a lot more about his parents, and their lives, and about Hogwarts. He learned of his mother's childhood, of the friendship she had with Severus Snape, and how that friendship had devolved. Of how James had tried to woo Lily with stupid and puerile attempts, only to finally, sincerely, and truly try. Of their regrets about not being able to see their son grow up, save for at one remove. And of the blessing they gave to Aerith and Elmyra, to raise their child.

Harry also met Aerith's parents too, the noble pair of Gast Faremis, and Ifalna. Through them, they learned more about the Cetra, about the legacy that they must carry on. Both expressed immense satisfaction that Hojo was dead, though they were, admittedly, concerned about Jenova. But the revelation about Jenova's true nature had shaken Ifalna to the core. But she still managed to recover, and Harry was glad to meet Aerith's birth parents.

Soon, it would be his eleventh birthday. That the Planet had the same calendar as Earth, and was at the same date if not the same year, was a marvellous coincidence(1). Or maybe there was more to the link between the two worlds than previously though. But it was July 24 tonight. A mere week until Harry Gainsborough, once Harry Potter, turned 11.

After a lot of discussion between him, Aerith, Sirius, and Minerva, he had made his decision. He _would_ go to Hogwarts. He would go to study where his parents, his godfather, and even the man who wanted to kill him, had gone. Because after all that adventure those months ago, he could do with something a bit more normal and restful, even if a school of magic couldn't be exactly called normal.

He smiled as he lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling. Going to school was all the adventure he wanted at the moment…

* * *

Scattered across the Worldwide Network was a badly fragmented program. Nobody knew it existed, save for one person, and he was dead.

The program, had it a voice, would have cackled. This had been a last resort, after all. One day, there would be a Reunion of its own, of sorts. But it would have to wait. It would have to be patient. And while patience wasn't a virtue that it possessed, it could do so…

* * *

And deep within the Lifestream, there was something, little more than an awareness of an awareness, a will that insisted that it existed, even though the will was all that was left of that being(2).

Green eyes, with slits like a cat or a reptile, opened in the faintly glowing darkness. Cold. Calculating. Callous. And a voice without a mouth spoke the words of a will without a body.

_I will never remain a memory_…

**CHAPTER 34 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Holy crap! I'm going great here! The penultimate chapter, wrapping things up on the Planet. Things are different compared to what happens in canon. Midgar is still unsafe for habitation, but Shinra still exists, Rufus and Jenova are in charge, but they are also beginning to change Shinra. Sirius has learnt about at least one new horcrux, and Harry eagerly awaits Hogwarts, hoping that he will just have a normal school year. Pfft! Yeah, right.**

**Oh, and Hojo's digital copy is spread all over the world, and Sephiroth is just barely holding himself together within the Lifestream. Looks like Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo are potentially on the way…**

**1\. Apparently the Planet DOES have the same calendar as Earth. The years are numbered differently, AFAIK, but the months and dates are the same. I decided, to make things simpler, that the dates are synchronous.**

**2\. The 'awareness of an awareness' thing is a second-hand quote discussed by Bob Baker, apparently quoted from Aldous Huxley's novel ****_Time Must Have a Stop_****. He was using the quote to describe Omega, the villain of the Doctor Who TV stories ****_The Three Doctors_**** and ****_Arc of Infinity_****. Baker, incidentally, co-wrote the former with Dave Martin. In ****_The Three Doctors_****, when Omega realised that his body doesn't truly exist anymore, the Third Doctor tells him (I think I got the line right, please don't throw anything if I haven't) "You exist only because your will insists that you exist, and your will is all that's left of you." Pretty good description of Sephiroth's state now, isn't it?**

**Rebuilding a World****: ****_Melodies of Life_**** (English version), from ****_Final Fantasy IX_****, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, lyrics by Hiroyuki Ito and Alexander O Smith, sung by Emiko Shiratori.**

**Remnants of the Past, Shadows of the Future****: ****_Those Chosen By the Planet_**** (FTG).**


	43. Chapter 35: Shades of Things to Come

**CHAPTER 35:**

**SHADES OF THINGS TO COME**

In the Dursley household, only one person had any concern for one Harry Potter. It was drowned deep within an ocean of spite and envy, but it was there.

As her husband snored loudly next to her, Petunia Dursley wondered, as she often did privately, why she had married the man. He was important, full of importance, and it seemed like the only way she could one-up perfect little Lily and beat her to marriage. She now had a son, a beautiful son, even if he was a bit big-boned and belligerent.

Harry had come into their lives at a critical juncture. She had railed and ranted, and it was only Dumbledore's personal intervention that guaranteed that she kept Harry there, despite what he said about blood wards in his letter. And she had then conceived the perfect revenge against Lily. She would use Lily's vile little freak boy as a servant. Have him do all the housework. Crush the magic out of him, that should have been Petunia's.

And then, that night, it had gone so wrong. Vernon had drunk too much, and had begun beating his nephew. Petunia never intervened. She had attacked Harry physically before with a frying pan out of pique, but she had never attacked him as viciously as Vernon had at times. And she feared, one day, that violence may be turned on her and Dudley.

And then, Harry had disappeared. Dumbledore somehow knew, and had left somewhat perturbed, for the boy had apparently not merely run away, but had actually used his magic to vanish. Petunia thought, good riddance, but a small, very very small part of her worried.

With Harry gone, though, the allowance they had been given by the wizarding bank, as well as by the government, had ceased. She had been forced to report her nephew as missing, at least initially, until Dumbledore had sent her a letter. He was alive, and well, though he would not be returning to Number 4, Privet Drive. The blood wards had collapsed, and they couldn't be re-established. Which meant, in theory, that the freaks could attack. But Dumbledore reassured her that few knew where she was, and in any case, no follower of Voldemort would think to check a telephone book, holding all Muggle innovations in contempt.

But now, so many months had passed since Harry disappeared. And she found herself missing him. Not just because he had done the housework, or his presence brought in money that they were now having to budget without. No…she had gotten used to his presence, despite holding him in contempt. And even now, she was a little worried about him.

She only hoped that wherever he was, he had found someone actually capable of loving him. Petunia could never do that. And she wasn't sure she loved anyone, save for Dudley. Certainly not the cacophonic walrus snoring next to her.

* * *

Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, was not a nice person. In fact, he was a bitter, twisted, and callous individual who had trouble shedding a grudge. But to say that there was no light within his soul was to do the man a great disservice. There was a light, deep within, guttering and flickering, always in danger of being extinguished by the darkness, but it was there.

Dumbledore had taken Snape aside not long ago, along with McGonagall and Hagrid, and spun a tale so ridiculous, if it had come from any other man's mouth, Snape would have thought it ludicrous. As it was, he questioned whether the old man had finally gone senile. But he had produced letters, each with a distinctive magical signature that was definitely not that of Dumbledore's, or anyone else whom Snape was familiar with. It could have been like Lily's, and like James Potter's.

The letters by Harry spoke of adventures on another world. With Sirius Black, of all people, who had disappeared from Azkaban months ago. Snape didn't care that Black was innocent, though. Oh, he could believe it, once he examined what had been divulged by Black. He didn't know Pettigrew had been Voldemort's spy in the Order. If anything, he had shared the Order's opinion that it had been the werewolf, Lupin, even though he wasn't part of the Order of the Phoenix then. All he had known was that there had been a spy. But Black deserved to suffer, for sending Snape to a nearly fatal encounter with a transformed Lupin.

It seemed that the Potter brat couldn't keep out of trouble. Assuming the boy wasn't bragging (and Snape, given his tendency to believe the worst in anyone called 'Potter', refused to rule out that possibility), he had had quite the adventure.

Snape snorted as he lay in his own bed. The boy would soon learn that conquering monsters did not automatically entitle him to be king of Hogwarts, or even the respect of Severus Snape…

* * *

"…and so, Albus, that is why we've agreed to this plan of yours," said the strangely youthful-looking man with the swept-back white hair. "It's a rather dangerous one, but if your enchantments on the Mirror of Erised prove to be as good as they should be, then we can remove Voldemort, or at least his agent."

Dumbledore nodded. It had been some time since he had spoken to Nicholas Flamel, the famous alchemist, and the only known creator of a Philosopher's Stone, sometimes known by American wizards as the Sorcerer's Stone(1). "So…we shall have a decoy Stone in the Mirror, which itself will be charmed to eventually entrap Voldemort, or his agent. We will set a series of traps, designed mostly to keep interested students at bay, but not enough to deter a truly determined adult, and lure them into a false sense of security. Then, the trap will be sprung."

Nicholas Flamel nodded. Eventually, he said, "It would be dangerous to allow one of Voldemort's underlings, or what is left of the man himself, to come into the school."

"Voldemort is not a complete fool, even knowing what I do about the man. If he came in person, it would only be by possession of another, and he would risk bringing himself to my attention if he did anything truly overt to the student body. I am perhaps the only person he is truly afraid of."

Again, silence reigned. And it was once more Nicholas Flamel who broke it. "I hear interesting rumours amongst my contacts in the Unspeakables. That Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was the first person in so very long to use the Goddess' Gate. That the tales of the Cetra Exodus were true after all."

"You don't seem surprised at the last, old friend," Dumbledore said, long since inured to his old friend and mentor knowing things he shouldn't.

Flamel smiled sadly. "I am perhaps one of the few people alive to remember more about the Cetra Heritage than what myths and legends tell us…"

* * *

In an isolated shack, deep in the middle of nowhere, a tired-looking man stared at the calendar, knowing that the time was coming too soon. The full moon. As if he didn't need enough anguish already. Tonight was the 24th of July, 1991. Two nights from now, it would be the 26th, and with it, the full moon he so hated(2).

Remus Lupin had a hard time of it in the world. Few employers in the magical world would willingly take on a werewolf. And he had a hard time keeping down a job anywhere in the Muggle world, save for the most menial, given that a magical education didn't help as much with qualifications there.

And if that weren't bad enough, Dumbledore had sent him a letter recently detailing the most shocking news. Harry had gone missing from the Dursley home. So too had Sirius Black from his cell in Azkaban. And if Dumbledore's letter was to be believed, they were together.

Lupin didn't know what was more unbelievable: that Harry and Sirius had travelled to another world, or that Sirius was innocent, and that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper. He had spent so long hating the man who was a brother and more, it was hard to believe otherwise.

And yet, it did make a perverse kind of sense. Pettigrew was always the weakest link in the Marauders. Although Sirius' idea to switch Secret Keepers made sense in theory, Pettigrew had been the weakest link. Unfortunately, they had overlooked him, as they so often did. Everyone looked at Lupin as Voldemort's spy, simply because he was a werewolf. And when Black had been captured, everyone, even Lupin, had believed that Black had reverted to his family's reputation of Black by name, and black by reputation.

Tears trickled from Lupin's eyes, as he wondered if he could ever make amends with his old friend. Or at the very least, find Pettigrew.

* * *

Pettigrew, at the moment, was sleeping on the chest of the boy he had been given to. In his Animagus form, of course. He had no qualms about this. He had few qualms about anything.

But this is not about him. This is about the boy he was sleeping on, who was reading the latest fan publication for the Chudley Cannons.

Ron Weasley was the youngest boy and the second-youngest child in the massive Weasley family. And he had felt overshadowed by his siblings for much of his life. You had Bill, the curse-breaker, Charlie, the dragon-wrangler, Percy, the perfect prefect, and the twins, the trouble-makers. And, of course, Ginny, the only girl in the house, and thus fussed and doted over by his mother.

Ron was by no means neglected or abused. But because of the relative poverty of the family, he was usually the one stuck with the hand-me-downs. Scabbers, the rat currently sleeping on his chest, used to be Percy's. But because Percy made prefect, Percy got an owl of his own, and Ron got Scabbers, fat, useless thing that he was. Even his Hogwarts uniform and wand had come from his older brothers' wardrobe. And being the youngest brother, he was also often the target of Fred and George's pranks, though Percy, given his increasing officiousness, was thankfully a more inviting target now.

If Ron had some self-reflection, he would have realised that there was one small thing that set him apart from his brothers. He was a chess prodigy, despite his old set with the insolent pieces.

And there was one thing that he shared with his sister: an interest in Harry Potter. And hopefully, in becoming his friend. True, he wasn't as fanatical as his sister, but Harry was apparently due to come to Hogwarts this year. And Ron hoped to be friends with him. He'd heard his parents' tales of the Potters and the Marauders. Harry would be a good guy, and a good friend. Plus, he'd been with Muggles all his life, apparently, and he may need someone to show him the ropes.

If this sounds rather bad for Ron and his attitude, remember that he is a child, wanting to get out from his brothers' shadows. His desire for friendship with Harry Potter was genuine. And soon, he would get his chance.

* * *

Ginny, elsewhere in the Burrow, eagerly read one of her Harry Potter adventure books. She devoured them and believed them as ardently as they were fact. Had she heard that these adventures were utter nonsense, she would have bawled and wept. Had she heard that he had a more extraordinary adventure than any one of these, then she may very well have fainted on the spot.

Ginny was a girl with a crush. One day, she would have to confront these feelings, and deal with them. She was still a good girl in the end, loyal to her friends, and brave. But she had a childish crush, and one that she would have to confront the reality behind very soon…

* * *

That night, after finishing talking with Flamel, Albus Dumbledore dreamed a dream, of a place with scintillating green ribbons of light that danced and writhed. It was so beautiful, he thought.

Out of the green mist came the figure of an armoured woman, magnificent and with a proud bearing. "Hello, Albus," said the woman. "My name is Minerva. I am the Goddess you have been hearing so much about lately. And we need to treat, you and I, on various matters. Including Harry Potter…"

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl looked up at the ceiling from her bed, her face, hair, and eyes pale in the moonlight. Rather appropriate, given her name.

Many thought her eccentric at best, and mad at worst. Sanity and normality were highly overrated, in her opinion. They didn't see things the way she did. They couldn't see memories of a long-lost past.

Had they known what she really was, they may have tried to destroy her. This was something her mother warned her about, before a spellcrafting experiment took her away. Her parents had created her as an experiment, with her father deliberately Obliviating himself afterwards. Now, he believed that she was just his daughter, instead of being so much more. An heir to a great and terrible legacy.

She knew that things had changed, across the gulf between worlds and universes. The call, once filled with malice and darkness, was now gentler, more maternal. And perhaps, one day, she would be able to answer that call.

"I hope I get to meet you soon, Jenova," Luna Lovegood said, as she lay on her bed in the moonlight. "We are, after all, well-overdue for a _Reunion_…"

**HARRY GAINSBOROUGH WILL RETURN IN…****_BIRTHDAY._**

**CHAPTER 35 ANNOTATIONS:**

***exhausted panting* Okay, I rock! Now STOP MAKING ME PROVE IT!**

**Sorry, couldn't resist a ****_Freeman's Mind_**** reference. Great series by the way. Go watch it if you like ****_Half-Life_****. You'll never be able to look at it, and Gordon Freeman, the same way again.**

**So, things are getting interesting in the Potterverse, and it seems that both Nicholas Flamel and Luna Lovegood have secrets linking them to the Planet. You'll have to wait some time, however, before you can find out exactly what they are.**

**Anyway, it's been a marathon, hasn't it? ****_Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_**** was my first fanfic published on this website, and it has remained the most popular. And I'm surprised, given the amount of unfinished fanfics, that I managed to complete it, let alone how fast I did so. Over 110K words, over 140 follows and over 115 favourites, with 56 reviews. Oh, and there's been 22.5K views. All of this, in just over a month of hurried writing and publishing. I'm amazed, and I thank you, the readers, for making it so.**

**The story of Harry Gainsborough, nee Potter, however, won't end here, obviously. As mentioned before, the next fic (which will be some time coming) in what I am now calling ****_The Cetra Heritage Saga_**** will be an interquel, ****_Birthday_****, set during Harry's eleventh birthday. Once that is done, I will begin the monstrous task of writing ****_Harry Gainsborough and the Philosopher's Stone_****. However, this time, I will be doing these at a more sedate pace, and I also want to concentrate on my other fanfics, as well as my normal writing. I am bloody exhausted after this marathon writing.**

**One last review-answering. ****Blurb****, amongst other things, told me that they had the same theory as I did about Jenova being similar to Minerva, being another world's consciousness. I'm actually surprised, but I guess I shouldn't be. I just made that theory up more or less on the fly some time before writing Chapter 21. I have read at least one fanfic where Minerva and Jenova converse, true, but I didn't know that this was a theory thought of by anyone else. Goes to show. So much for me being remotely original. ****J**

**Now, before I go, I thought I'd give you a taste of what's to come in ****_Birthday_****. Minerva allows Dumbledore to bring six people, along with himself, across the Goddess' Gate for Harry's birthday. Which six, well, you'll have to wait and see. But I'd like to see what YOU guys think. There'll be some that are easy, and some that'll be tricky. Post your opinions as reviews. It won't change who I already have in mind, though…**

**1\. A reference to the American title of the first Harry Potter book. Seriously, what was going through the publishers' minds?**

**2\. I Googled it, and there was a full moon on the 26****th**** of July, 1991. Which is a good thing for the story.**

**And on that note, be seeing you!**

**CHAPTER 35 SOUNDTRACK:**

**Night Thoughts****: ****_Hedwig's Theme_****, from ****_Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_****, composed by John Williams. Particularly the most famous, tinkly bit at the start, looped.**

**L-U-N-A****: ****_The Nightmare Begins_****, (FTG).**


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